Keeping Up
by Lyrically Uninspired
Summary: Basically a cliche complete with drama, romance, and Fax. No wings, all human, high school - college and on.
1. Chapter 1

**Well hello, there. I'm Joey. I'll do my best to keep these short, but whatever is written will be update related, so you might wana check it out :P**

I screamed and my eyes flew open. I jerked upright, looking around frantically, only to realize that I was in my own room. I shook my head. I _hated_ that dream. Being chased by… werewolves? Flying? I don't know. I just didn't particularly want to see it _again._ I sighed and shook my head. There was no way I was going to be able to get back to sleep… I checked the clock and groaned. Four o'clock in the freaking morning. I rolled out of bed and made my way to the shower.

I'm not sure how long I was in there. Long enough for all of the hot water to run out…

When I got out and got dressed, it was five thirty. I typically didn't even wake up for another few hours… Well, maybe I could try to do something productive.

I laughed shortly afterwards at the absurdity of the thought.

I sighed and looked out the window. The ground was covered in a blanket of perfect white snow… Not the best driving weather, but it would be way too freaking cold to walk. I shrugged and headed to the garage where my slightly-less-than-used car awaited. Christmas was only two weeks away… two more weeks, then all the hype would go down. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Christmas itself, but everything is just a little _too_ perfect around Christmas time for me.

I backed out of the driveway and went into town. There was a bookstore with a coffee shop that I really liked… It sounded like a good way to start the day.

I scanned the fiction section before ordering my coffee. The girl behind the counter seemed grouchy… She was probably thinking something along the lines of, "It's six o'clock. What the _hell_ is anyone doing up?"

I found a chair in the back of the store. I selected a book at random, warmed my hands with my coffee cup, and sat contently as I began to read. Winter break would be starting soon…

"Excuse me," said a voice. I looked up from the book. A boy about my age dressed in all black was standing in front of me. His hair was overlong as it hung in front of his obsidian eyes. "That's not the last copy of that… is it?"

I paused and thought back to taking the book. "I think it is, actually… Here, you can have it." I held it out to him.

"That's alright," he sighed. "I'll get it somewhere else."

I almost laughed. "Sorry, this is the only bookstore within a fifty mile radius. Just take it." I stood and pushed the book towards him.

He sighed. "Thanks."

"You're not from around here," I commented. He nodded.

"Just moved here. In time for Christmas." He didn't sound particularly thrilled. Then again, there wasn't much emotion there at all.

I sat back down in the chair and pulled my knees to my chest. "Sounds… fun?"

He shook his head. "Well… Thanks. I better go," he muttered.

I half smiled. "Have fun with that."

He left and I sighed. Damn, that had been a good book, too. With that, I stood once again and debated where to go. A smile made its way across my features as I wondered how annoyed Iggy would be if I showed up at his house this early… I grinned and left the store, only to see the guy from before hanging around his car. I was pretty sure he hadn't noticed me, so I didn't bothering reacting. I sat in the drivers seat and started the ignition…

Nothing.

I turned the key again.

Nothing.

I groaned and stepped out of the car. This was _not_ happening. I felt my pockets for my cell phone, but to my demise, realized I had left it at home. So much for calling Mom or Ella. I kicked the tire in frustration and looked around. The guy was looking at me now, a puzzled look on his face.

I blushed and looked away. And I'd been hoping no one saw that…

"Need some help?" he asked, walking over.

I sighed. "Car won't start."

He looked at it thoughtfully. "Maybe the battery is dead. If that's the case, I'll just jump it."

I nodded at him and he headed back to his car. He parked closer to me and got out jumper cables.

After getting everything set up, he told me what to do to hopefully get my car started.

After nearly seven failed attempts, he sighed and stepped out of his car. "It's not the battery. Do you need a ride somewhere?"

A ride? With a stranger? Hell, why not? "If it's not too much trouble, it would help…"

"Sure," he said, smiling for the first time since I'd met him. I wondered if it was something he did often.

I gave him instructions to get to Iggy's house. I knew neither my mom nor Ella would know what to do about my car, but Iggy was a different story.

"So, what's your name?" he asked.

"Max," I said simply.

"I'm Fang," he said.

"That's a strange name," I said. The sky was grey and contrasted with the blindingly white snow. Was it going to snow again?

He shrugged. "I guess. Here we are…" he said, pulling into Iggy's driveway. He pulled out a piece of paper and jotted something down. "Here's my number in case you need something. See you around."

I smiled politely and thanked him. He drove away and I hurried to Iggy's doorstep to ring the doorbell. A very grouchy Iggy still dressed in pajama pants and a long sleeved t-shirt answered the door.

"What do you want?" He growled.

"I need help," I snapped back. He gave me a tired look.

"What could you possibly need help with at this hour?"

"My car won't start. It's parked at the bookstore."

A blank expression crossed his features. "Then how the hell did you get here?"

"I got a ride from someone. Now help me." I sighed. Iggy was much livelier when he was fully awake.

"Max… My parents aren't here. I'm in charge of the kids…" he looked torn.

"They can come too," I said. "Or you can drop them off at my house."

He nodded. "Sure… come in, I'll get dressed. Wake 'em up, will ya?"

I stepped inside the all too familiar home. Iggy retreated to his room and I went to find Angel and Gazzy.

Twenty minutes later, a very grouchy Iggy and two sleepy little kids along with me hopped in Iggy's truck and we rode to the bookstore. Iggy had decided against taking them to my house first, hoping he would be able to fix my car on the spot and go home.

That, however, was not the case. He tried everything he could possibly think of and more, but my poor car wouldn't budge. A sour feeling set in my stomach. It looked like I would be needing a ride to school tomorrow…

I used Iggy's phone to call my mom. I explained everything quickly and she simply said to come on home and she would call a mechanic.

"Well… this sucks," I said, snapping Iggy's phone closed. He nodded.

"I know, it's seven in the morning and I'm _awake_!" Angel yawned sleepily and I scooped her up in my arms. She was small for an eight year old. Ever since I'd moved in here and met Iggy, Angel had always been my baby. She put her arms around my neck and I smiled.

Iggy rolled his eyes and gestured to the car. It was cold outside, and a warm car suddenly sounded wonderful.

Ella was waiting for us and ushered us in, shivering as the door closed behind us. Seeing her, Iggy smiled, but said nothing. The kids ran to her and she happily took on the job of entertaining them. My mom was on the phone when Iggy and I walked in the kitchen.

"That bad?" she said, sounding a little upset.

I exchanged a worried glance with Iggy as my mom said, "Thank you, have a nice day," and hung up. She glanced at me. "Maximum Martinez, your car is busted. There's nothing to do now but start saving up for a new one," she sighed.

I groaned. "_Wonderful._" Iggy shrugged.

"It could be worse." Well, wasn't he the ever optimist. What happened to his mood?

I glared at him. Why did this always happen to _me?_ I shoved my hands in my pockets, enjoying the warmth. My fingers wrapped around a small piece of paper. Paper? Oh, right.

Fang.

**I was going to add more. But I didn't want to lead you into a false sense of security where my chapters are nice and lengthy. Unfortunately, my chapters are short. But I promise I do try to make them as long as I can…**

**With the exception of this one.**

**Well, I hope you like it. I thought I'd do something a little Faxy, and what better way to achieve that than a cliché? The voices in my head say there are many ways. But… That's irrelevant. I enjoy clichés.**

**So, review?**

**The more you review, the faster I update. True statement.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh, hello(: I just finished this, so I thought I'd go ahead and post. I might even post AGAIN tonight. You see, I was going to make THIS chapter longer, too… but again, I don't usually write this much per chapter. This is kind of cute, so I hope you like it!**

I groaned at the sound of my alarm. Iggy had warned me to be up and ready by seven… I was debating whether it would have been better to walk to school…

I shook my head. It was ten degrees outside…

I grabbed my phone and flipped it open. Three missed calls? I checked the history. Jeb. Why the hell was he calling me? Surely he had better things to do than to call me. He _always_ had better things to do. Not that I cared.

I got dressed quickly and shoved my phone in my pocket. Who did he think he was? Calling me out of the blue and expecting me to answer. I think not.

I hurried downstairs to see Ella. "Hey, Max," she said, smiling. Her silky black hair was straight and shiny, her eyes a warm chocolate brown. She could make _anyone_ smile.

Which is exactly what I did. "Hey. Iggy's picking us up," I reminded her.

She nodded. "I know. You don't wake up this early for just anything."

I rolled my eyes and grabbed a pop tart. We talked for a while about the glories of winter break. Then the doorbell _finally_ rang and we grabbed our backpacks. Iggy smiled and gestured towards his truck.

"Let's go!"

"I call shotgun!" Ella yelled, and bolted for the truck.

"Whoa! Not fair! No way!" I called after her, and began running. Iggy just laughed behind us.

"Too late, Max. Her seat." Iggy stuck his tongue out at me. Ella was already in the cab and buckled, so I just growled and got in the back. Unfortunately, all the radio stations refused to play anything other than Christmas music, so I was forced to hear Iggy's redemption of "The 12 Days of Christmas" the whole way to school. Ella just laughed, which made it a little better, I suppose.

Iggy dropped us off at the door and went to park. We waited rather impatiently in the cold for him. Soon enough, though, we all headed inside. Ella hurried to try and find Nudge, her best friend. That girl had a motor mouth, I tell you…

Iggy stopped dead in the hallway. I glanced at him curiously. He groaned. "I didn't do my Creative writing assignment. I have forty-five minutes. I'm going to the library, seeya, Max." With that he bolted towards the library.

I sighed. Alone until first period… At least, I thought that would be the case until I saw a rather familiar face.

He looked undoubtedly lost, which explained a couple things. I walked over and said, "Lost?"

He jumped a little, turning to me. Recognition slowly spread across his face. "Oh, hey. I didn't know you went here… Yeah. Where's the office?"

"This is a small town. _Everyone_ goes here," I pointed out. "Follow me." I took him down the hall to a room marked OFFICE, but the "E" was fading. He looked at me gratefully and thanked me.

He then went through the office door, leaving me with nothing to do, yet again. I sighed. This week was going to be boring… Exams had all taken place _last_ week, and now we were just… what _were_ we going to do?

I waited out the remainder of the morning in front of my US History classroom. Mr. Barkley was there, and so we talked about… Well, I'm not exactly sure. I just pretended to listen. I was indeed that desperate to do something… The class itself ended up being just as "interesting". I left his class more than ready for Physics with Iggy.

"Max!" Iggy said happily upon seeing me. I glanced at the front of the class. A substitute? I grinned. Looks like we wouldn't be doing anything in here today… I took my seat next to him and we began talking about whatever.

Then I saw Fang behind him, reading quietly, keeping to himself. "Fang?" I said.

He looked up and waved slightly. "Fang?" Iggy asked, obviously quite confused. I nodded. He turned around, looking at Fang, but still puzzled. "What?"

"Hi, I'm Fang." Iggy's confused expression stayed the same.

"He gave me a ride to your house yesterday. He's new here," I clarified.

Iggy blinked twice. "Oh." I rolled my eyes and smiled.

Fang was pulled into the conversation whether he wanted to or not, but he didn't seem totally uncomfortable.

"You should sit with us at lunch," Iggy said as the period came to an end.

"That sounds cool, thanks," Fang agreed. I smiled and stood as the bell rang.

"What class do you have next?" I asked.

He checked a crinkled sheet of paper. "Theater with Darren," he said after scanning it.

"Great," I said, "Me too." We waved a goodbye to Iggy and I led Fang through the halls for the second time that morning.

For the rest of the day, Fang and I talked about any and everything, but at the same time, I had learned very little about him. I did learn, however, that we had four of seven classes together. He seemed oddly relieved at this. He also sat with Iggy, Ella, Nudge, and me at lunch. Everyone seemed perfectly fine with him being there. I dare say they even liked him. But then again, Fang was pretty likable.

I left English, my last class of the day, and headed out to the front of the school. Fang was waiting outside. I wondered idly if he was waiting for me. He smiled slightly when I walked out, so I was guessing yes.

Ella and Nudge were right behind me and we all stood around waiting for Iggy.

"Max, Ella…" he said, his expression a little sketchy. "I have to go to work… And I forgot about it… so I can't exactly give you guys a ride home…" He avoided my eyes.

Smart.

I sighed, frustrated. I did _not_ want to walk home in the cold. Mom didn't even come home for a few hours, so she couldn't pick us up. Damn, I needed my car.

Ella looked at me hopefully. "Um, Max… I'm going to go home with Nudge… But I'll be home for dinner."

I huffed. "Yeah, yeah, sure. Whatever." Ella glanced at Nudge and the two of them hurried off towards Nudge's mom's car.

"Sorry, Max…" Iggy said before dashing towards his truck.

I stood there silently next to Fang who had been watching the whole scene with interest. "So… do you want a ride?" He asked after a few moments.

I looked up at him. "…Really?" I hadn't exactly been expecting the offer.

He shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

I smiled and he led me to his car. I was getting used to riding in his car. I gave him directions to _my_ house this time, and he smiled – an actual smile.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"I live over there," he said, pointing down the street to a house with a moving truck parked out front.

I shook my head. "I'm not surprised. This is such a small town…" He parked in my driveway.

"It really is… My last school was huge. The last graduating class was as big as your entire school…"

I shook my head. I wasn't sure I would be able to stand being around _that_ many people… "That's ridiculous."

He nodded. I tried to think of something else to say. I wasn't really ready to go.

"So, do you want to come in? I can make hot chocolate or something," I said after a minute.

He shrugged. "That sounds good."

We left the warmth of his car and made a beeline for the front door. I shrugged off my coat as we entered.

"I'll let my mom know I'll be a little late," he said, pulling out a cell phone.

I nodded. "Sure, I'll go make that hot chocolate."

Once in the kitchen, I started looking for the chocolate mix. Once I had the water ready, I mixed it up and poured two mugs.

I heard him sigh behind me. I turned and handed him a mug.

"Thanks. My mom is surprised that I managed to meet friends already." He shook his head. "She's so confident in me."

I smiled. "Why would she think that?"

He shrugged. "I don't really talk to people."

"You talk to me," I pointed out.

He shrugged again. "You're different, Max."

**See? It's kind of cute. Sadly, I had to ask what classes are taken in junior year o.O**

**Yeah, I'm not a junior.**

**But, regardless, here's your chapter, and I might have another one up tonight because I love you so much.**

**You know what would make me REALLY love you? Reviews.**

**I have exams in one week, and after that I have winter break. I may or may not spit out updates twice a day during break. Depends on the reviews… So let's see 'em!**

**REVIEW PLEASE.**

**I love you(:**


	3. Chapter 3

**I've given up. These chapters will just be long. No use in shortening them up when they're all going to be like this xP**

For the remainder of the week, Fang had offered to drive Ella and me to school. He said it was on his way anyway, and that it would be less trouble for Iggy. We took the offer. As long as we got to school, we were fine.

It was Friday afternoon. Iggy was at work, Ella had gone to Nudge's for a sleepover, and Fang had come back to my house. But most importantly, it was winter break and Christmas was less than a week away. The whole week had gone by quickly. Nothing was done in class – we just goofed off and talked the whole time. In that time, however, I had gotten to know Fang quite well. By the end of the week we had just… clicked. I also learned that virtually every girl at our small town school was after Fang. I was sure he was _loving_ that.

"Max, what are you doing?" Fang called from my living room.

I sighed. "What do you _think_ I'm doing? I'm raiding my kitchen."

I heard him get up and walk into the kitchen. "Jeez, are you always this hungry?"

I shot him a look and he grinned. I had also learned that grins from Fang were very rare. But they made the world stop spinning for just a moment and were to be cherished.

I grabbed a bag of chips and two sodas. He took the sodas and I followed him into the living room. Without having to ask, he set the sodas on the table and flipped on the television. I waited for him to pick a channel, but practically squealed in excitement when he came across a channel that was playing old cartoons. He set down the remote and rubbed his ears.

"Jeez, Max, what are you trying to do? Make me deaf?" He shook his head and sat down on the couch lazily.

I smiled and curled up on the opposite side. We watched the cartoons and laughed in unison at the same parts.

Somewhere between eating half the bag of chips and finishing my soda, I had fallen asleep on the couch.

~!~

Fang smiled inwardly. Somehow Max had gotten closer to him in less than a week then anyone had _ever_ dared. He wasn't sure how it happened, but he was more than glad that it did. Max was the most amazing person he'd ever met.

She stirred on the couch. He glanced over. Asleep? He shook his head and stood up, stretching. Maybe he should go… and leave Max by herself? He wasn't exactly sure what time her mom would come home. He'd never stayed long enough to know. In fact, he hadn't even _met_ Max's mom. Or her dad… But something told him that her dad didn't live with them. Max never mentioned him. He didn't plan to ask; he would wait for her to bring it up.

This probably wasn't the best circumstance to meet her mother, anyway. Should he wake Max and tell her he was leaving? Would it bother her if he didn't? He sighed. With anyone else, he wouldn't think twice about leaving. But this was _Max._

He shook his head and shook her shoulder lightly. She groaned and looked up.

"What?" she moaned. Fang held back a smile.

"I'm gonna go. I'll see you later."

She sat up, trying to wake herself up. "Do you want to stay for dinner?" she asked. "Ella's staying with Nudge. And you haven't met my mom yet."

He paused. It _was_ his parent's anniversary… He may as well let them have a nice date at the house. "That sounds cool." And also this way he could spend more time with Max…

She smiled up at him. The corner of his mouth rose into a half smile and he sat back down on the couch. Max stretched and sighed. "For not doing anything at school, this week wore me out."

"I tend to have that effect on people," Fang said.

The front door behind them opened and Max's mom entered. "Max, whose car is out front?" she asked.

"Hey, Mom," Max said, trying not to yawn. She walked in the room and saw Fang for the first time.

"Oh, hello," she said, a bit confused.

"Mom," Max began. "This is Fang. I've been telling you about him all week."

Her expression changed and she smiled. "Oh! Hello. I'm Valencia Martinez, Max and Ella's mom. It's nice to meet you." She extended her hand.

"Hello, I'm Fang," he replied politely. He remembered Max telling him that her mom was the vet in town.

"So are you staying for dinner?" she asked.

Max nodded. "Yeah, he is."

Dr. Martinez smiled. "Great, how about I start cooking?"

"Sounds good," Max said, standing. She looked at Fang, then back at her mom. "We'll go to my room."

Dr. Martinez smiled. "Alright."

Fang stood. He was going in Max's room? That would be a new one. He followed her up the stairs and into a simple room. There was a bed with a blue comforter against the back wall. A dresser complete with mirror and a black bean back were against another wall. A sleek black acoustic guitar and what Fang could only assume was Max's closet was on the last of the light purple walls. He raised an eyebrow. "You play guitar?"

She blushed red. "Just a little."

He smiled. "Can I hear something?"

If it were possible, her face went even redder. "Umm… Do I have to?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes."

She looked at him uncertainly, but slowly walked over and picked up her guitar. She carried it over to her bed where she sat cross legged. Fang looked at her expectantly.

~!~

Why?

Why on Earth was he asking me to play? More importantly, why was I complying? I never did what people asked me to. If Iggy had asked me to play, I would have snapped at him and simply said, "No way."

So why was Fang different?

I sighed. Fang was very, _very_ different. He'd easily earned himself the title of my best friend in less than a week. He gave me a look that said, "I'm still here… still waiting… hurry along…"

That was another thing about him. He just _looked_ at me and I knew what he was trying to tell me. I shook my head slightly. Where on earth did he come from?

I sighed once again. I collected my thoughts and began playing my song of choice.

_I've given up on giving up slowly  
I'm blending in so you won't even know me  
Apart from this whole world that shares my fate  
And this last bullet that you mentioned  
Is my one last shot at redemption  
Because I know to live you must give your life away_

_And I've been housing all this doubt and insecurity  
And I've been locked inside that house  
All the while you hold the key  
And I've been dying to get out_

_But that might be the death of me  
and even thought there's no way in knowing  
Where to go, promise I'm going because_

_I gotta get out of here  
I've been stuck inside this rut that I fell into by mistake  
I gotta get out of here  
And I'm begging you, I'm begging you  
I'm begging you to be my escape_

_I've given up on doing this alone now  
Because I've failed and I'm ready to be shown how  
You showed me the way and I'm trying to get there  
And this life sentence that I'm serving  
I admit that I'm every bit deserving  
But the beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair _

_And I've been housing all this doubt and insecurity  
And I've been locked inside that house  
All the while you hold the key  
And I've been dying to get out_

_But that might be the death of me  
and even thought there's no way in knowing  
Where to go, promise I'm going because_

_I gotta get out of here  
I'm afraid that this complacency is something I can't shake  
I gotta get out of here  
And I'm begging you, I'm begging you  
I'm begging you to be my escape_

_I am a hostage  
To my own humanity  
Self detained and forced to live in this mess I've made  
But all I'm asking is for you to do what you can with me  
But I can't ask you to give what you already gave_

_And I've been housing all this doubt and insecurity  
And I've been locked inside that house  
All the while you hold the key  
And I've been dying to get out_

_But that might be the death of me  
and even thought there's no way in knowing  
Where to go, promise I'm going because_

_I gotta get out of here  
I've been stuck inside this rut that I fell into by mistake  
I gotta get out of here  
And I'm begging you, I'm begging you  
I'm begging you to be my escape_

_I fought you for so long I should've let you in  
Oh, how we regret the things we did  
And all I was trying to do was save my own skin  
But so were you_

_So were you_

By the end, Fang was smiling. Like, actually _smiling_. Which, in turn, only made _me_ smile as well.

"You have a really pretty voice, Max." He looked at me with those dark eyes and my stomach churned. I didn't even understand why. It just… did. I shook my head. I would need to look into that later.

**Yet, still, I've managed to do that thing where I was totally going to add more. Like the whole dinner with Max's mom. But, unfortunately for you, I am a very lazy writer.**

**Hah(:**

**I am not getting reviews… *cries in corner***

**I'm not updating until I get some this time…**

**REVIEW**


	4. Chapter 4

***Gives Xx-nb-xX cookies.* I totally hope that makes up for it. D:**

**Well my dears, I have some good news. YOU DOUBLED THE REVIEWS. So here's a chapter.**

Fang seemed right in place in my home. My mom and Ella loved him, and he seemed to like them too. He had invited me, Ella, Iggy, and Nudge over to _his_ house tonight, and for some reason I was terrified. It's not like I had any reason to be. It was Fang… and his family. From what I gathered, he lived with his mother and father as their only child. I sighed internally. At least he had invited the others…

I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I pulled it out and flipped it open without checking the collar ID. "Hello?"

"Max," said a deep voice on the other end. My eyes narrowed and my pleasant mood went sour. "How are you?"

"Jeb," I spat. "Why are you calling? Shouldn't you be with your family?" I hoped that stung.

From the tone of his voice, he seemed rather un-phased. "Now, Max. Don't be like that. Ari and I are coming to see you all for Christmas."

I wished he could see my glare. "Don't you dare. No one here wants to see you," I growled.

He sighed on the other end. "So stubborn. I'll see you in a few days." With that he hung up the phone, leaving me pissed.

I shook my head and looked at the screen. One new message from Fang.

_Hey, are you still coming tonight?_

I raised an eye brow and hit reply.

_No, I'm not coming._

_Funny. I'll pick you up at four._

Damn, he was good. Few people could pick out the sarcasm over texts… I smiled. Fang knew me too well. I wasn't sure how, but I felt like I'd known him all my life… I actually _had_ known Iggy all my life. But Fang… I felt like I'd known him longer. I shook my head. That boy was messing with my mind.

_Why? I live right down the street. I'm perfectly capable of walking._

_Then I'll walk with you._

I smiled a little and closed my phone. Ever the gentleman… I checked the clock. Fang wouldn't be here for a few hours…

I heard a knock on my door. "Yeah?" I said.

"Max, come on!" Ella said excitedly. "Let's get ready for tonight!"

I wasn't exactly sure what she meant, but I opened the door. Ella smiled widely.

"Come on!" She said, dragging me towards my closet. I groaned. If it were anyone else, I would have bitten their hand off by now. But… sometimes I just gave in to Ella. Even though on certain occasions such as these, I was nothing but a big Barbie doll… I shuddered at the thought.

Ella had started pulling things out of my closet, and I just sighed. Hello, Hell.

After a lot of arguing, yelling, and ranting, Ella had me dressed in black skinny jeans with a long sleeved gray sweater covered in embroidered designs. I wasn't exactly sure when it came into my possession, but I decided I didn't totally hate it. Then, after more arguing, I let her straighten my hair and put makeup on me.

It actually didn't look bad. It was very light and natural… I thanked Ella with a smile and she just grinned and was off to do her own wardrobe. I sighed. Had that really taken an hour? It should _never ever ever_ take that long to get ready. End of discussion. Not sure what to do until it was time to meet Fang, I pulled out my phone and checked my messages.

_It's rude to ignore texts…_

I shook my head. Fang could be so silly.

_Ella just gave me a makeover. I about died._

The reply came instantly.

_Can't wait to see it._

I wasn't sure how to respond, so I didn't I headed downstairs and heard my stomach growl. Well… time for food.

~!~

At three fifty-five, Fang left his house and walked down the street to Max's. He had been itching to see her all day, and now he finally could. He rang the doorbell and a few seconds later Ella answered the door. She smiled and called over her shoulder, "Max! Fang is here!"

"Are you serious?" he heard Max say. "I thought he was kidding…"

Fang smiled inwardly. She should know better. Max came down the stairs and stood by Ella. Fang's breathing stopped for a second. Max looked absolutely stunning. She looked amazing all the time, but Ella had really out done herself. Fang let a small smile escape.

"You look nice," he said.

Max blushed, and he wasn't quite sure how to take it. He smiled a little wider and gestured for them to follow.

They left the house, Ella talking the whole time. Fang could most definitely understand why she and Nudge were friends… They both talked and talked and talked… But he smiled anyway. They were both pretty funny.

Iggy was cool, too. He was definitely a good friend, and Fang liked him being around. The pyro side of him was slightly terrifying, though.

They reached Fang's house quickly and hurried inside to escape the cold.

~!~

I smiled. Fang's house was warm and safe. Just like him.

A woman in her early thirties greeted us at the door, followed by a man a few years older.

"It's nice to meet you, you must be Max," the woman said, smiling warmly.

I smiled back. "Yes, that's me."

Fang's mom turned towards Ella. "And you're her sister, Ella?" she asked.

Ella nodded politely.

"I'm Elizabeth, and this is Nicholas." The man behind her waved. He looked like an older version of Fang… it made me smile.

"It's nice to meet you," he said.

"You too."

"My mom is a nurse," Fang said.

Ella's eyes lit up. "Really? I want to be a nurse!" she said excitedly.

Elizabeth smiled and started talking to Ella about her work. Fang's dad disappeared, and I turned to Fang. He gestured for me to follow. With a quick look back at Ella, I nodded and followed him upstairs and into a room painted… well, black. As was everything in the room. I assumed it was Fang's.

"I love the color," I said. He cracked a smile and sat down on the bed. I followed suit and we talked until the doorbell rang.

He looked a little disappointed, but we went downstairs to see Iggy and Nudge waving happily. The five of us sat in the living room. Ella, Iggy, and Nudge sat on the couch. Nudge and Iggy seemed to be fighting over Ella's attention. I laughed and sat on the love seat.

Fang sat by me and we went off into our own conversation. We somehow had gotten on the lovely topic of bunnies taking over the world when Elizabeth told us the pizza was here. Everyone happily hurried over and grabbed a slice. We laughed, talked, and ate. It was probably one of the best nights of my life.

"Well, guys…" Iggy said around seven. "I've got to go. My parents are going out and I gotta watch Gazzy and Angel." After a few hugs and goodbyes, Iggy headed out, leaving the four of us wondering what we could do.

"We could play truth or dare! Oh! Fang do you have any games? I love games, especially stuff like Twister, it's just so wacky, y'know? Maybe we could watch some movies! I love movies. Oh gosh! There's so much we could –" Nudge was cut off as Ella clapped a hand over her mouth. I grinned.

"Ella, is Nudge staying at our house tonight? I don't know that I could put up with that for long…"

Ella grinned. "Yep, she's staying." She giggled and started rambling to Nudge who squealed. They talked and talked…

"I bet that'll be fun tonight. Isn't your room next to Ella's?"

I moaned and nodded. "You have no idea what it's like when Nudge sleeps over."

Fang grinned and my heart skipped a beat. "You could always stay here, you know."

I smiled, but screamed internally. Staying the night at Fang's house? "Sounds fun."

"It would be," he agreed, nodding.

I laughed and the four of us collapsed in the living room. Fang started a movie, and we all watched intently. It was pretty sad… I teared up a couple of times and Nudge and Ella were crying by the end. Fang smirked when he saw the tears and eventually put his arm around me. I didn't stop him.

Ella looked at over at me. "Ready to go?" she asked, sniffling.

I felt Fang's arm tighten around me ever so slightly. He didn't want me to go. And if I was being honest, I didn't really _want_ to go.

"I'm going to stay here tonight," I said. "You guys are too girly to be around when you're having a sleepover."

They shrugged and grinned. They stood to leave and began heading out. "Max, don't you need pajamas or something?" Ella asked.

"I've got something she can wear," Fang said.

They smiled and left, crossing the street and heading back to my house.

Fang raised an eye brow and looked at me. "Decided to stay?"

"Would you rather I go?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Don't be silly."

He stood and extended his hand. I took it and he pulled me up. Fang led me to his room and started going through drawers. He pulled out two black items (shocking) and handed them to me. "I'll tell my mom you're staying. You can change in the bathroom."

He left. I shook my head and made my way to the bathroom. I locked the door behind me and changed into the sweatpants and black t-shirt. They were loose on me, and I was quite comfortable. I left the bathroom, my clothes bunched up in my hands, and returned to Fang's room. I dropped my clothes on the floor and looked around.

I heard him walk up behind me. I smiled and turned around to face him.

"So," he said.

"So," I repeated. He smiled and stepped past me. He pulled a blanket out of one of the drawers and grabbed an extra pillow from the closet. He laid them on the floor by the bed. I hadn't noticed that he had changed, too. He was in sleep pants and a black shirt. I wondered idly if he bought a bunch of the same black shirts…

"They're different," he said. I looked up and grinned.

"Sure, sure," I said.

He rolled his eyes and sat on the floor. I raised an eye brow. "It's gonna be hard to sleep if you're sitting on my blanket."

"You're taking the bed," he said simply.

I shook my head. "No way. Your bed."

He sighed, stood, and before I could react, he picked me up bridal style and dropped me on the bed. My eyes were wide with shock. "What the hell?" I muttered.

He smiled and sat back on the floor. "Take the bed, Max."

I shook my head, but didn't argue. There was no point. We talked into the night and around two in the morning, I crashed.

**So… I'm a review whore. Just putting that out there. I want your reviews. Badly. They make me happy and they make my world go around.**

**So... yeah. :3 **

**This is a really long chapter. And, again, I wanted to add the next morning, but it was already so long… It'll be in the next chapter though. Max waking up to awkward scenarios is always oodles and doodles of fun. **

**I love you guys to death, I hope you know. But it's because I love you that I feel like I can threaten you. REVIEW… or Fang dies.**

**Fang: I'm the second main character… **

**Joey: Fang, deary, have you READ my other stories?**

**Fang: *gulp***

***cough cough* yeah, I talk to characters in my head. What of it?**

**Wow, this got long fast.**

**REVIEW!3**


	5. Chapter 5

**I probably shouldn't spoil you so much and update this fast. But I did. Oh, and to Corina: Fang isn't 'kawaii' or cute. He is damn sexy.**

***cough* Just saying.**

**As for the rest of you, if Twitch sent you, you get brownie points.**

**And you should review…**

Christmas Eve came faster than I had expected. Damn, I needed to get something for Fang. I shook my head and sighed. I hadn't the slightest idea what to do…

The doorbell rang and a smile crept across my face. Fang was here.

I hurried downstairs and opened the door. He smiled at me and stepped inside. I hadn't expected the hug as Fang was _not_ a huggy person, but I welcomed it none the less.

"Hey," he said easily. I grinned. I'd been doing that a lot, lately… Fang made me happy, happier than I'd been in a long time.

"Hey." My expression turned serious. "What the hell do you want for Christmas?"

He laughed. "You?"

"Very funny… but seriously, Fang."

He shook his head. "How about we don't do presents? We can do something special tonight instead."

I turned the thought over in my head. "I guess that would be okay…" He smiled and we headed into the living room. My mom smiled at us.

I smiled back and waved. She knew I was happier.

Fang and I sat on the couch, chatting about nothing in particular until there was a knock on the door. I smiled, knowing that Nudge and Iggy had planned to come over today. I stood, telling Fang I'd be back in a minute. I opened the front door and my blood ran cold.

I took a step back.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I hissed.

"Now, now, Max." Jeb's once dark brown hair had streaks of silver. I hoped I was part of that cause. "We're here to spend some time with family."

I growled. "You didn't like our family, remember? You thought they were better," I spat, pointing towards his car. I saw Ari and Beth inside.

He shook his head. "Don't be like that, Max."

"Max?" Fang called from the living room.

Jeb raised an eyebrow. "Some other company?"

I glared at him. "Just stay away from him. And my friends. And God, I swear… Don't you even touch Ella."

He just shook his head. "You think so poorly of me, Max."

"Gee, I wonder why," I muttered. I left the door, returning to Fang. An awful thought crossed my mind. Was Jeb going to stay with us? Fang gave me a rather worried expression. I tried my best to smile, but it came out more as a grimace.

Fang stood and stood in front of me, hands on my shoulders. He was looking me straight in the eyes. "Max, what's wrong?"

I sighed. "Come on," I said. I took his hand and led him to my room. I closed the door behind me and collapsed on my bed. Dammit, this holiday was supposed to be _nice_.

"Max?" Fang said quietly.

"My dad is here," I said finally. He didn't say anything, just came and sat next to me. I leaned against him, and his arm went around me. "I hate him." He waited for elaboration. "He has son named Ari… Ari is just a month or so younger than Ella."

"Max… you don't have to tell me." I shook my head. I wanted him to know. There was no reason to keep it from him.

"He had cheated on my mom. He took care of both families for a while, until Ella was born… Then he decided we could take better care of ourselves than his other family could. He left us." I shook my head. "It tore my mom apart. I couldn't stand it… Ella was so little… I didn't even understand it. He tries to contact us every once in a while, says he loves us."

Fang tightened his grip around me. "I'm so sorry." Then he kissed my cheek lightly. I wasn't exactly sure what to do or how to take it. I figured it was just a friendly gesture. I tried not to think about it. "Max?"

I smiled a little. "I really don't want to see him," I sighed. He nodded.

"You don't have to."

~!~

Why? Why had he kissed her? Did he even _like_ Max that way? Sure, it was just a peck on the cheek… but why did he do it? Fang mentally kicked himself. He could be pretty stupid sometimes.

"Fang," Max said after a few minutes of silence.

He looked down at her. "Yes?"

"I think Nudge and Iggy are here," she mumbled.

He nodded and stood, offering Max a hand. She took it and didn't let go. He didn't complain; in fact, he rather liked it.

"Or maybe I just heard Ari," she grumbled as we reached the bottom step. A boy with short brown hair and big brown eyes just like Max's was teasing Ella. Fang heard a growl come from Max. "Get away from her," she snapped at him.

Fang moved out of the way. He hadn't particularly seen Max mad, but he had seen her yell at people… it was kind of terrifying, actually. He loved it. Wait, what?

"Maxie!" the boy said with false enthusiasm. He looked to be about Ella's age. Fang didn't like him at all, not after he spoke like that to Max.

"Get away from her," Max repeated.

Ella dashed over to her, standing behind her. "Jeez, I thought you'd never come down." Ella sighed and glanced at Fang, giving him a rather apologetic look. "Hey, Fang."

"Hey," he said. He tried not to miss what was going on between Max and Ari.

The boy smirked as a man whom Fang could only assume was Jeb walked in. "Hello," the man said coolly. He gave off the presence of one who couldn't be trusted.

Fang nodded.

~!~

Iggy and Nudge _finally_ showed up. I had never been happier to hear Nudge's voice – maybe she could talk Ari's ears off. I hated Ari…

Fang was sitting by me on the couch, an arm around my waist. Normally, it would be comforting. Now, however, it was protective, possessive. I was debating whether or not I liked it. I was leaning towards yes. The thought of being Fang's wasn't totally displeasing… I shook my head. I did _not_ have time to be thinking about this.

While Jeb and Beth moved their things into the guest room, Iggy, Nudge, and Ella politely put up with Ari. I, however, was already ready to tear him to pieces. Fang was too busy keeping me in check to worry about whether or not Ari said something rude.

"How about we do presents now?" Iggy suggested.

Ella smiled. "That sounds good." She pulled out two small bags and gave them to Iggy and Nudge. I had demanded no one get me anything this year, but of course that request had been ignored. The three of them – Nudge, Iggy, and Ella – had pulled their money together to get me a really beautiful song-writing book. I grinned at them and we all continued giving out gifts. Fang didn't have anything, though he did get a few… from everyone but me. I was starting to feel bad, but then he grinned at me and my heart stopped beating for just a moment.

Ari had snuck off somewhere; I prayed it wasn't my room. Soon seven o'clock rolled along and Iggy drove Nudge home. Ella was admiring the necklace he had given her. I smiled, thinking of them together.

Ella pulled me out of my thoughts by telling me she would be heading to her room to avoid Ari. I nodded, wishing her sweet dreams.

Fang wrapped his arms around my waist again. It wasn't to restrain me this time. It was a very nice, warm feeling.

"Hey, Max?" he said.

I turned to look at him. "Yeah?"

He pulled a rectangular box out of his pocket and I groaned. "What happened to no presents?" I whined. He smiled.

He didn't say anything; he just gave me the box. It had a purple bow on it. I ripped it off and opened the lid, my breath catching as I did. He had given me a golden colored charm bracelet. It had two charms on it. One was a rather elaborate cursive "M", and the other was a small golden feather. I smiled and hugged Fang.

It must have taken him by surprised, because he took a few seconds to hug back. When he did, though, it was one of the nicest feelings I'd ever had. He was very warm. He helped me get the bracelet on. I scolded him for getting me something as he did, but he just smiled and insisted it was the proper thing to do. I would definitely be getting him something.

Fang's cell phone rang.

He flipped it open and answered. I waited a few moments before I saw sadness cross Fang's eyes. His face remained impassive.

He closed the phone and sighed.

"Fang?" I said, slowly and quietly.

He looked at me, his eyes full of sadness. If I didn't know him so well, I'd think he was going to cry… but Fang didn't cry. It just didn't happen.

"My dad is being deployed. He leaves tomorrow morning."

**Well… I couldn't be cliché for too long without committing suicide. Honestly, I don't read too many Max and Fang stories, so I can only assume what's cliché. One person said not too many songs… Is one every, like, ten chapters okay? I'm a music person. Music is just me.**

**If you liked it, it would be nice if you reviewed… and I know this is a depressing chapter. Ish. I somehow managed to squeeze in some Fax. Not totally sure how… Okay, I'm just rambling now…**

**REVIEW!**


	6. Chapter 6

**So… This is a little bit shorter, but a lot happens.**

**It's sad, yes.**

**And I know at least one person does not know what "deployed" means…**

**Regardless, I hope you like this. I may or may not double update… I'm hoping yes(:**

To start, may I say that I didn't even know that Fang's dad was in the army? I shook my head. This was unbelievable. And Fang... God, I swore he was about to start crying. But no... He just held it in. I wondered if he'd gone through this before.

If anyone heard the sharp sound of glass breaking, they didn't need to worry. It was just my heart, shattering into a million pieces as my best friend in the world was slowly breaking down. His expression turned stony. He was trying to hide behind the mask that I knew all too well... but it wasn't working. Not completely, anyway.

"Fang..." What could I say? There was absolutely nothing appropriate I could dream up.

"Max, I..." he said quietly. "Will you come with me to the airport tomorrow?"

I stopped and my eyes widened a bit. He wanted me there? For _that_? I nodded. I wouldn't turn him down. I couldn't.

"Thanks," he whispered. Then he pulled me into a hug, as if I were the one that needed comforting.

"Hate to ruin this sweet moment," said a snobby voice behind me. "But I would really appreciate it if you could move your crap out of your room, Maxie," Ari sneered.

I shook my head. I did _not_ want to deal with this little brat right now. Actually, I wanted to punch him in the face a few times. Fang didn't loosen his grip. He just glared at Ari. Now... I've never seen Fang glare, but let me tell you that it is quite scary... It rivaled my own death glare.

Ari paled, but stood strong.

"Move it, Max," he commanded weakly.

"Fang?" I said quietly.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Do you want to stay the night at my house?" he asked.

"Would you rather be alone?" I said. I wasn't sure what he wanted, but I wanted him to be comfortable.

He sighed. "I think I need you there."

I nodded and stood. "I'll be right back." I stepped over to Ari and glared at him. He shrunk away. "Don't go near Ella. And sleep with your parents, not in one of our rooms. you are _not_ welcome here."

I hurried to the kitchen and saw my mom. She smiled at me, but I could tell she was angry and hurt... I would be too. In fact, I was.

"Mom... Let Ella sleep with you tonight. I don't trust Ari to leave her alone. I'm going to Fang's... if that's okay."

She nodded. "Sure. I heard what he said... He needs you, Max. Take care of him."

I sighed and left the room, heading back towards Fang. Ari was gone now, and Fang was just... sitting there. Heartbroken.

I took his hand and pulled him off the couch. He draped an arm around me and we left for his house. When we got there, his mother was packing his dad's things. Nicholas was standing in the kitchen, looking out the window.

Upon seeing me, Elizabeth smiled through tears and gave me a hug. I wasn't the one that needed it, though. Fang side stepped and started talking to his dad. They talked quietly, and I soon felt out of place.

"Mrs. Ride... Do you need help?" I asked.

She looked up at me. "Max, sweetie, you can call me Elizabeth. And... I think that would be wonderful. Fang needs some time with his dad..." She led me up the stairs and into the master bedroom. "You know... his last deployment was a few years ago. He only came home last year. I'm sure Fang is devastated... I am."

I thought I was going to cry, but shortly afterwards felt horrible for it. Why did I have any reason to cry? I helped Elizabeth pack a few things. She told me stories about Fang and his dad when he was little. They made me smile, and I realized just how great of a dad Fang had. I was almost jealous… I hated my father. Jeb had never done one single thing to prove that he actually loved us…

I didn't think into too much. I was happy that Fang had such a great family.

Elizabeth sighed. "Thank you, Max."

I looked at her, puzzled. "For what?"

"Fang hasn't been this open and happy in a long time. I know it's because of you… You're a wonderful girl. He's lucky to have you as a friend." Elizabeth wiped a tear from her cheek.

"Fang is a great guy… I'm happy to be his friend. But you shouldn't thank me. I'm the lucky one." I smiled. She hugged me and we returned to the kitchen. Nicholas hugged his wife and they left for the bedroom, leaving me and Fang alone.

He was looking down. I didn't know whether I should say anything or not…

"Max?" he said. He didn't look up.

I took a few hesitant steps closer. "Yeah?"

I thought I saw him smile a little. "Thanks."

A tear rolled down my cheek. He looked up, came to stand in front of me, and wiped the tear away with his thumb. I wrapped my arms around him and rested my head on his chest. His arms went around me and we stood there for a while. It was comfortable, warm, safe.

"Hungry?" he asked, pulling back and looking at me.

I shook my head. It was nine, now. I just didn't feel like eating. Normally, I would be starving.

He took my hand and we went to his room. He pulled out some clothes and handed them to me. I took them and got dressed in the bathroom down the hall without question. When I got back, Fang hugged me and sat on the floor. I shook my head and rolled my eyes.

"Fang, please take the bed."

He actually smiled a little. "Nope. Sleep tight, Max."

I sighed and crawled in bed. He could be so stubborn.

"Merry Christmas," someone whispered. I opened my eyes and smiled. Fang was sitting next to me on his bed. It felt too early to be awake… I looked at the clock and moaned. Six o'clock. In the freaking morning. Seeing my expression, Fang smirked. "Flight's at eight. You need to get dressed… Unless you want to go like that. I wouldn't complain."

I sighed. What I was wearing now – sweats and a t-shirt – was probably a lot warmer than my clothes. I shook my head and sat up. "I'll change," I mumbled. He moved to let me up and I changed in the bathroom.

I headed downstairs after I'd changed back into what I'd been wearing yesterday. Nicholas was wearing his uniform and carrying a duffle bag that I'd helped pack. Elizabeth was holding his arm. Fang stepped by my side as I entered. Everyone went to the car quietly. Nicholas drove, Elizabeth sat in the passenger seat, and Fang climbed in the back. I sat on the opposite side from him, but after the look he gave me, I moved to the middle seat to be beside him.

We drove to the airport in silence. It was a twenty minute drive, and once we arrived, we waited patiently as Nicholas and Elizabeth went to check in. Fang looked at me a bit strangely… Or at least in a way I'd never noticed before. I ignored it and took his hand.

His parents soon returned and I stepped back, letting the three of them have their moment. I looked away, waiting for them to finish. Nicholas stepped over to me after a moment and whispered, "Take care of him. Please."

I looked at him. He was smiling sadly. I nodded and tried my best to smile. Then, he left. Elizabeth broke out in tears, stepping away from us. I thought Fang would go talk to her, but instead he just hugged me. I sighed and hugged back. This really sucked.

**POOR FANG.**

**Now, if you've read any of my other stories or know me personally, you know what hell I put my characters through. This is the only time I've ever felt bad about it… **

**Well, review! Next chapter will be a little more upbeat. **

**Love you all. Oh, by the way, I was listening to "I Hate Christmas Parties" the whole time I wrote this… It doesn't have anything to do with anything, but I think you should go look it up. It's by Relient K(:**

**Review!**


	7. Chapter 7

***Gives Cadisha Ora Rhaksha Caden Dr. M's cookies***

**I give people cookies when I piss them off. *sigh* Happens a lot.**

Over the next couple weeks, I tried my hardest to make Fang smile. He did eventually come around, but I knew he was upset about his dad. Unfortunately, on top of all that, Jeb was _still_ at my house, ruining my life. And my poor mom… What could she do about it? Nothing. God, I hated Jeb.

Ari had been harassing Ella, too. Iggy had taken a very strong hatred towards him. Ella spent most of the break at Nudge's house. I couldn't blame her. I, however, had tried my best to stay behind with my mom. Fang came over every day which also helped out a lot.

"Max?" Fang asked. School started back in five days...

"Yeah?" I said. I smiled a little. I wanted _him_ to do the smiling, though…

"There's a concert tonight in Brimwood. If we leave within the next hour, we can make it." I stared at him. He wanted to go out and do something? Hell, I was almost giddy from the thought of him being happy. I guess it showed in my expression, because he actually cracked a smile.

I grinned. "Sure, sounds awesome." I didn't even bother to ask who was playing. I didn't particularly care – I just wanted to see Fang smile.

"Why don't you go ask your mom? I already talked to mine." I smiled. Elizabeth _would_ have Fang go out to have fun…

"Great," I said. I headed towards my mom's room. She smiled when she saw me.

"Hey, Max. What's up?" She was sitting on her bed, brushing her hair. She looked like an older version of Ella… Lucky Ella. I looked like _Jeb_.

"Would it be okay if Fang and I went to a concert in Brimwood?"

"Of course! I'm glad he wants to go out. He needs some fresh air, and, face it, sweetie. You need to get away from Ari and Jeb."

I nodded. "When are they leaving?"

"I… I don't know." She shook her head. "I want them gone as much as you do. But… I can't kick them out. I think they ran into some financial trouble and won't admit it."

I snorted. "That's their problem."

My mom sighed. "You two will probably need to leave soon. I heard there was going to be heavy snow."

I nodded. "Thanks, Mom. I love you."

"I love you, too," she said smiling.

I grinned and left her room Fang was standing by the door. I gave him a thumbs-up and he _grinned_. I couldn't believe how much he'd changed in just one day. I rushed over and we hurried out the door.

We took Fang's car and headed out of town. I was thrilled.

"So," I said happily.

He smiled and glanced at me quickly. "So?"

"You're happy," I commented.

He nodded. "I'm trying not to think about it. He sends me an email every other day… I know he's fine. And you've been looking almost as sad these days. I figured we both need a pick-me-up."

I smiled. "I agree. It's good to see you smile again. I missed it."

He dropped one hand from the wheel and touched mine. "I'm sorry. I should have tried to be happier. I just kind of let the worst take over."

The snow was picking up, now… We were about an hour out and there was still another good two hours left on the road to Brimwood.

"Jeez," Fang muttered. "I think it's a blizzard. The forecast did _not_ call for this. I'm going to stop in the next town… we shouldn't be driving in this."

I nodded. Honestly, I hated riding in bad weather. I was quite happy Fang had decided to be responsible about this… most other guys would probably take on the storm. I sighed. I felt safe with Fang.

We pulled into a diner in a small town called Redburg. We hurried inside and took a seat at a booth. Unfortunately, the restaurant was freezing as well… I sat across from Fang and he smiled at me.

"Hot chocolate?" he asked. I grinned. He got the message and called the waiter over.

"Can I help you?" the waiter asked. He was directing the question to me, it seemed. His hair was sandy brown and his eyes were hazel. "My name is Sam," he said.

"Two hot chocolates," Fang said before I could respond. Sam glanced at him and nodded.

"Alright. I'll have that right out." He smiled and winked at me before leaving to submit our orders.

I raised an eyebrow. "Problem?"

Fang shook his head. "He's not getting a tip."

I shook my head. "Why not?"

Fang sighed. "He's flirty."

"So?" I said. It's not like I was looking for a relationship, but why should Fang care if a guy was flirting with me or not?

He shook his head. "Forget it."

~!~

Fang mentally sighed. Over the past couple weeks of seeing Max being sad for his sake and briefly imagining his life without her, he had come to the conclusion that he only ever wanted her to be happy. Who was he kidding? He loved Maximum Martinez. There was no point in denying it anymore. The only question was if she felt relatively the same way…

Sam the waiter returned with two mugs of hot chocolate. He set them on the table and smiled at Max. Fang tried his best not to react… but he couldn't help but scoff. What was wrong with him?

Max glanced at him, giving him an odd look. She smiled at the waiter and said her thanks as he slipped away.

"What's up with you?" she asked.

Fang shook his head. He really needed to stop overreacting… "Sorry," he said. He grinned, a rare gesture. He saved that smile for Max… she was the only one who ever saw it. She blushed ever so slightly and took a sip of her hot chocolate.

He looked out the window. There was no way he was driving on the interstate in that weather… Which meant they couldn't get home, either…

He sighed. It was already six o'clock. The concert would start at eight… They couldn't make it anyway. "Max?" he said, taking a sip of his hot chocolate. It was good, but he liked it better when Max made it.

She looked up at him. "What's up?"

"I don't think we're going to make it to the concert…" He gestured to the window.

Her eyes widened. "Whoa."

"Yeah. I don't think we can get home, either. And by the time it clears up, the roads will most likely be blocked until morning."

He could see her fidgeting. "What do we do?"

"I have enough money for a night at a hotel. Relax, Max. It'll be fine."

She exhaled a deep breath.** (So I just realized that would be the same as sighing. But my characters nod and sigh an awful lot. Hm…)** "I don't think I have enough… I'll pay you back when we get home, okay?"

Fang shook his head. "Max, its fine. I really don't mind paying. You don't need to worry so much."

"Fang… I can't let you do that." She took another sip. "It's in no way fair to you."

He rolled his eyes. "You'll get over it."

~!~

Fang hadn't tried to find a nice hotel… He didn't really want to drive in this weather at all. I didn't blame him one bit. We drove for about a minute before he pulled into a parking lot and walked me to the door. He got a room for the night, but the receptionist informed us that the heating wasn't working properly. I sighed. I hated being cold.

"That's fine," Fang said. "We'll be okay. Thank you."

We headed up to our room and looked around. There was one queen-sized bed, and the room was freezing.

"You take the bed," I sighed. If he was paying, he was taking the damn bed.

"Max," he said, trying to sound reasonable.

"I don't want to hear it," I snapped. "You paid."

He sighed. "Can we not act like adults and share it? It's cold. I don't think either one of us should be on the floor… Not unless we want to get sick."

I looked at him uncertainly. I would think he was crazy if his logic hadn't made perfect sense… "Fine." The room had a small TV. Fang flipped it on and went to the movie channel. I kicked off my shoes, but kept my socks on. I shivered.

Fang took his shoes off as well and turn down the bed. He slipped under the covers and held them open for me. I looked at him a little uncertainly. "Come on, Max. I don't bite. And I'm warm."

I sighed in defeat and curled up next to him. He _was_ warm. He put an arm around me and held me close to him. I rested my head on his chest and we watched one of the Harry Potter movies. It was actually… really nice.

I liked the way we fit together, as if we were made to be matching puzzle pieces. I liked the way Fang's warmth was comforting, making me feel safe from harm. And I mostly like the way we laid there so peacefully. This was… kind of perfect.

I fell asleep after a while. Fang and I had been commenting on the movie. He was finally smiling again.

**Thank you guys so much for all your reviews on the last chapter! You're all amazing and I love you to pieces. I have exams next week… ugh… but I'll try to update as much as I can. **

**Love you all(:**

**Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, guys! So, here's what I want form you…**

**Filler ideas. I might use them and, of course, I'll tell all of the other glorious readers who came up with such a fantastic idea.**

**No worries, there IS actually a plot, but filler always stumps me.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Maximum Ride. Or Twilight. (You'll see.)**

"I guess I better get going," Fang sighed. "I'll see you next period."

I smiled and waved goodbye. We were back in school, now. A full week had gone by, and today was Friday at last. I walked down the hall towards History… I wasn't particularly looking forward to it.

My thoughts were interrupted by a blood curdling scream. I ran towards the source, pushing past all the stunned students. My search brought me to a rather… interesting sight. A freshman with bright purple hair was sitting next to a rather horror stricken, blonde sophomore. They were sitting in a corner of the hall, a blanket over their laps. I was very confused.

"IT'S SO WRONG!" the blonde yelled.

"I know… Ugh, it disgusts me…" the other said.

"Are… are you guys okay?" I asked. "I heard a scream…"

The girl with purple hair looked up. I wondered how she'd convinced her parents to let her dye her hair that color… "Well," she began. "You see, Kelsey and I are editing _Twilight_."

I just stared. "I'm sorry, what?"

"_Twilight?_ The book? By Stephenie Meyer?" the blonde, Kelsey, held up the book.

"I mean, I know the book… You're… editing it?" This was a little weird.

"Yup!" the purple-haired girl chirped.

I shook my head. "How's that going?"

Kelsey glared. "It's horrifying. I've never seen someone so obsessed with commas and dashes. Right, Joey?"

'Joey' nodded. "It's pretty bad." She pulled out a red pen and turned back to Kelsey. "I'll take it this period."

Kelsey nodded. "Okay!" She looked back up at me. "Sorry for screaming."

I shrugged and turned away, ready for class after that. What a bizarre pair… I took my seat in class just as the bell rang. History was agonizing… Why dwell on the past? I just wanted to live in the present.

The day crept by slowly, but the classes I had with the boys were the best. Especially the ones with Fang. I suppose I was just worn out… I was so excited for the weekend.

After two and a half weeks of break, school really takes a lot out of you.

The day _finally_ came to an end and I waited outside for Fang. Iggy had made a habit of asking Ella if she wanted to ride home with him… she usually accepted. In all honestly, I was really happy that it was Iggy. At least I knew I could trust him with my sister.

Fang came up behind me. If he had tried to sneak up on anyone else, he would have succeeded, but I knew him too well. I turned and smiled. We started walking to his car before I heard, "Nicky, wait up!"

Fang groaned quietly. "Hey, Lissa."

I turned to glare at the red head. I wondered how many boyfriends she'd had in the last month. Four? Five?

"So good to see you! Glad you like the school," she said. She batted her eye lashes and stepped into what I would assume to be Fang's personal bubble. He lets very few people pop said bubble.

"Uh… yeah…" I snickered at his lack of response.

Lissa rounded on me. "What's your problem, Martinez?" she snapped.

"Leave him alone, Lissa. You're doing that annoying slut thing again." She just glared at me. I tried not to laugh. I could see Fang hiding a smile.

"Ugh! You're just jealous." Now… that confused me.

"Of what?"

"You're not that pretty, sweetie. It's okay to admit it." Lissa smirked. Ouch. Why did that hurt?

"Oh, got to Hell." I started walking towards the car. Fang followed close behind.

"Let me know if you want better company, Nicky!" Lissa called.

I really wanted to rip something out of her… Anything vital would do. I yanked the door open and slipped in the passenger seat. My good mood was ruined. I looked at myself in the rearview mirror. Jeez, since when did I care? More importantly, since when did I care about _Lissa_? I sighed. I knew the answer…

Fang.

I couldn't exactly explain _why_ he was the reason; I just knew that I cared what he thought. And really… he was the only one. I could care less for what anyone else thinks… But I always want to be my best for him. But… why?

_Maybe you like him as more than a friend._

Great. Now I had voices in my head.

Could I like Fang? Was that in the realm of possibility? I shook my head. It didn't matter. He didn't like me that way. Or… did he?

"Max?" he asked quietly. He didn't start the car. "Are you okay?"

I looked over at him. "Yeah. Just peachy."

He sighed. "That didn't get to you, did it?" I shook my head, but he didn't buy it. "Max… It's _Lissa_."

"I know that!" I snapped. "And really more than anything, it bothers me that it bothers me." Wait… what?

"Max. Lissa probably spends an hour getting ready every day, and she looks like that. You don't even _try_, and you're more beautiful than she could ever dream to be." He sighed again and started the car.

He… he just called me beautiful. I mentally slapped myself.

_He's trying to make you feel better…_ I told myself. But he had sounded so… sincere…

"Fang?" I said when we were nearly at his house.

"Yeah?" he said. He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye.

"Thanks."

He smiled. "It's the truth, you know. Every word."

**Like it? I thought it was cute. Meh.**

**Well, In the beginning, you met Kelsey and Joey. Yes, that's me, Joey. And Kelsey is Xx-Twitch-xX . AND YES. We ARE editing Twilight. **

**God, the grammar is terrible…**

**But, anyway, I'll be reading for ideas! Unfortunately I have to write to update and I have to have ideas to write…**

**REVIEW!**

**Tell me what you thought(:**


	9. Chapter 9

**Here's a really, really, really, REALLY crappy chapter. It's long. And there's a song. But it's a good song that you should all go look up… "Yesterday's Glues" by Eleventyseven.**

**And to answer some confused readers… I am editing Twilight with Twitch, yes. And we are having a blast doing so… Yeesh… Someone has a thing for unnecessary commas… But I suppose I should specify that we are actually taking a red pen to the book to fix these things. **

**AND NONE OF YOU GAVE ME IDEAS. So you're stuck with my crappy ones…**

**Oh no… the A/N got long DX**

January was rolling by quickly. February was just around the corner… and so was our school's Valentine's dance. I didn't particularly want to think about that, though. I mean, who was I going to go with? Fang, of course… unless he took Lissa.

I nearly scolded myself then and there. Why was I obsessing over this? Fang was most definitely my best friend, and _he_ would be the one to take me to the dance… But if I was being honest with myself, I knew that wasn't the real reason I wanted to go with Fang. Deep inside, I knew that I wanted to be there as his date… not just his friend.

A knock on my door pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Max, we need to talk."

I sighed and nodded. I needed to talk to Jeb, anyway. I had a bone to pick with him. I followed him into the guest bedroom. I didn't see Beth or Ari anywhere.

"Now, I know you're upset with me," he began.

"Upset?" I spat. "Dammit, Jeb! You left us! For them! I don't like your calls. I hate them. I hate that you're here. I hate Beth. I hate Ari. I hate _you_, Jeb. We all do." Damn… that felt good.

He shook his head. "You're overreacting, Max. I want to be part of our family again."

I glared at him. "Don't you dare call this your family…" I shook my head. "Jeb, why are you really here?"

He sighed. "Max… I lost my job. The scientific community thought I was going too far with my experiments. But really, Max. I do want to be back with you all."

I didn't believe I was hearing this. "Jeb, no. Just… leave. I don't care where you go or what you do, but stop hurting us. Do you know how upset you're making my mom?"

"I really do care for Valencia, Max. And you, too. And Ella."

"Shut up!" I shrieked. "I don't care! Leave!"

He sighed and looked at me for a while before finally shaking his head. "Alright, Max. But we'll be stopping by every so often."

"Don't." I turned on my heel and left.

Jeb could be such an ass… Who was I kidding? He simply _was_ an ass. I wondered what my mother ever saw in him…

Did they ever get along as well as Fang and I did? If they did… And Jeb still betrayed Mom's trust… I sighed. I was over thinking things. If I couldn't trust Fang, I couldn't trust _anyone_. And, let's face it, I _needed_ Fang.

But the real question here was if I needed him as more than a friend... Our being together would be near perfect… or would it? Would it ruin our friendship?

I shook my head and stepped outside. I needed air. I started walking down the street, towards Fang's house. But… why was I going there?

I knocked on the front door. Fang opened it and smiled.

"Hey," he said.

I smiled a little. "I think I got rid of Jeb."

"Really?"

I nodded.

"That's great, Max," he said with a grin. It sent my heart into overdrive…

I returned the grin. "I don't know… I just thought I'd stop by and let you know…" I sighed.

"I'm glad you did. You know I always like seeing you," he added. "So are you ever going to come in, or are you going to stand there shivering?"

I laughed a little. "I wasn't sure if you'd want me to stay or not."

He sighed. "Max, I always want you to stay. Come on." He grabbed my wrist and pulled me in, closing the door behind me. He smiled at me and led me into the living room.

Fang dropped my wrist and headed over to the cabinet where he kept the movies. He popped one in and plopped down on the couch before giving me an expectant look. "Are you coming?"

I rolled my eyes and sat beside him. We were watching _The Proposal_. I wasn't exactly sure why Fang had picked it, but I didn't complain. I thought it was pretty cute.

By the end, though, I found myself lying against Fang. He sat comfortably with his arm around me, much to my confusion. How did we even get like this?

~!~

Fang sighed happily. He loved having Max with him… He just loved Max in general. Would he ever tell her? He needed to. Badly.

"Max? Are you hungry?" It was around six.

She nodded. "Yeah, actually."

"Do you want to go out?" The sentence sounded strange. It made his heart skip a beat saying it.

"That sounds good. But I'm paying."

Fang sighed. She could be so difficult. "No way, Max. Let's go."

She rolled her eyes and stayed where she was. Was she waiting for him to mover first? He stood and took her hands to pull her up.

He must have overestimated the space around him, because as Max rose to her feet, there was no room for her to move anywhere, leaving her pressed against him.

He mentally sighed. Why did it feel so right to have her so close?

She blushed and side stepped, but never let go of his hand. They walked out to the car and drove into the small town. Max had been relatively quite the whole time. Fang wondered if anyone else could have picked up on her mood… He wasn't sure he quite understood it himself. It bothered him, not understanding.

He opened her door for her and they went inside the restaurant. Max got out and tried to smile. It hurt him a little…

When they were inside and seated, he said, "Max? What's wrong?"

She sighed. "I can't get anything past you, can I?"

He felt something inside him warm… He didn't answer, though. He just waited for her to continue.

"I've just been thinking about all the stuff that's been going on lately…"

"Like what?" he asked. He felt a little… stupid.

She smiled a little. "Just… everything in the past month in a half. Meeting you, Jeb, your dad…" She looked down as she said the latter.

Fang tried not to let it phase him, but the thought of his dad _did_ bring back memories. He sucked in a breath and nodded. "And what conclusion has all this brought you too?"

She shrugged. "Mostly that I'm lucky to have met you."

Fang felt himself smile. "I'd be pretty screwed at school if it weren't for you."

She smiled.

~!~

Of all the people in the world to work at this restaurant, guess who has the pure please of serving Fang and me? Lissa.

"Oh, Nicky!" she said. I saw Fang's eyes darken. I was actually a little scared…

"Maybe we should go somewhere else," he muttered.

I sighed. "We'd like a different server," I said, glaring at her.

She smirked. "Sorry, we're short on staff. But I'd be more than happy to get your orders." She was talking to me, but at Fang.

"Two burgers, no tomato, extra mustard." Fang glanced at me. "And two cokes."

Lissa was slightly stunned. I wondered if that was the most she'd ever heard Fang say… What _I_ was wondering was how Fang knew what I wanted to eat.

Lissa slithered away and submitted the order. I gave Fang a "what-do-you-think-you're-doing?" look. He shrugged and smiled.

"That's what I always get."

"Weirdo." I shook my head. "That's what I always get, too."

He grinned, making my heart skip a beat. Again.

"So, the Valentine's Day dance is coming up," he said.

I nodded. I wasn't completely sure if I wanted to be talking about this…

"I figured maybe we could—"

"Hey! I've got your drinks. Here you go," Lissa interrupted, setting the drinks down. "So, Nicky, are you going to the dance with anyone?"

He disregarded her. "Like I was saying, Max." He glared at Lissa. "I figured maybe we could go together if you'd like."

Lissa glared at me, but I just smirked. "Sure, that's sounds like fun."

Fang smiled, but something in his expression was off… Sure, I had actually wanted to go with him… but had he even meant to ask? What would the question had been if Lissa hadn't shown up? I sighed. Lissa left, and Fang gave me a hopeful look.

"You do?" he asked.

I felt myself blushing, but I tried to ignore it. "Yeah. I was hoping we would go together…"

He grinned. "Great, it's a date, then."

We got our food and ate in peace. Lissa had gotten someone else to take our table. Fang kept giving me this smile… Of course, I'd seen him smile plenty before, but this was different. I couldn't even begin to describe it.

We finished and headed back to our street. Fang parked in front of my house.

"Home? Or my place?" he asked.

I paused. I wasn't completely sure… but… there was something I wanted Fang to hear.

"Will you come in? I want to play something for you. I want to know what you think."

He smiled. "Sure, Max."

He followed me into the house and up the stairs to my room. Ella was back, but I knew she was avoiding Ari. It's not like I blamed her…

When we got to my room, I shut the door and picked up my guitar. I sat on the bed and looked at Fang. He smiled at me encouragingly.

I took a deep breath and began to play.

_The stars are moving on  
And I am staying home  
And I can't help but ask myself  
Where did I go wrong?_

It has to be this way  
There's nothing left to say  
It never helps to hear  
That things will be okay

You may not remember me  
But I remember you  
And years can hide your memories  
And what you used to do

If I could make this go away  
I'd wish that it was so,  
Cause I should never have come here  
But I wanted you to know  
Time is harsh and won't forgive  
The way we have to live  
Sometime the only things to say  
Just get in the way

I always knew that I  
Could never live a lie  
And maybe if I'd let this go  
Things would be alright  
I tried again today  
To make this go away  
It never helps to hear  
That things will be okay

Fang smiled. "That's was beautiful."

I set down the guitar and sighed. "I found it the other day… I thought it would be fun to learn. It's really pretty."

He nodded. "It is." He sat down next to me on the bed and just stared at me.

I stared back, getting a little lost as I took in the beauty of his eyes. Before I could comprehend what was happening, Fang kissed me.

I wasn't sure what to do… so I kissed him back.

**Yeah. So there you go. It got a little Faxy at the end… heehee.**

**And because I know you'll ask, no, they aren't "together" yet. **

**That comes a wee bit later.**

**Did I just say "wee bit"? *scoffs***

**There's something wrong with me.**

**Oh well.**

**REVIEW PRETTY PLEASE3**


	10. Chapter 10

***hisses* I so wasn't going to post this tonight. But I neglected to add something to my last author's notes, and I hate fake chapters that are ONLY A/N's, so I decided to go ahead and give you this one.**

**Here you go…**

Kissing Fang was the most amazing thing I'd ever experienced… My arms knew to wrap around his neck and he pulled me closer. When I came to my senses, I thought, _Oh my god. I'm kissing my best friend._

I broke away, panting slightly. I looked at Fang. He looked just as surprised as I felt, except his expression registered a small bit of disappointment.

"I… uh…" I stuttered.

"Sorry," Fang said, looking away from me.

"It… I… Don't be," I muttered. "My bad."

He shook his head. "Now that I think about it, though, I'm not really sorry," he said after a moment of silence.

He stood and left. I heard his car pull out of the driveway. I shook my head. What just happened? Fang kissed me… my best friend kissed me…

But I liked it. Why had I pulled away? It could have lasted…

Did Fang even like me that way? Judging by the fact he'd kissed me and not been sorry, I'd say yes… but… I did like him that way, didn't I?

"Max?" I heard a light knock on my door. Ella stepped inside.

"Hey," I said. She smiled and sat down where Fang had just been.

"Did something happen between you and Fang? He never just comes in for a few minutes…" She glanced at my guitar. "I heard you playing. It was amazing."

I sighed. "Thanks. He… I… We're going to the dance together." Wow, Max. Very smooth.

"I knew you guys would. Everyone knows it." She shook her head. "Max, even _Iggy_ knows the two of you like each other."

I froze. "What? We do not."

She sighed. "Of course you do. Fang loves you. And you love him. We all see it."

"Ugh! We don't!" Or… do we? Can I even say "we"? No… The real question here was what I thought about Fang… I sighed. I was thinking I really liked… no, loved him. As more than my best friend.

Ella giggled. "Calm down, Max." She looked down. "Jeb is finally leaving. I'm glad."

I nodded. "I am too."

"Come on," she said, standing up. "I'll call Nudge and we'll all go get our dresses!"

I moaned. "Ella, I'm wearing the black one in my closet."

Ella frowned. "Max, you're no fun… will you still come with us, though?"

I nodded. "But, El, it's seven thirty. We'll go tomorrow, okay?"

Her eyes brightened. "Okay!"

…

Ella had called Nudge last night, so she met us at our town's sad excuse for a mall. I drove Ella in mom's car and we got there around three. The girls went straight for one of the more popular dress stores. I waited near the dressing room, watching them come out and model the dresses… I'd be lying if I'd said it wasn't a little fun. After Nudge and Ella both picked their dresses, Nudge gave me a strange look.

"Put this one," she said, throwing a heap of purple fabric at me. That was probably the shortest sentence I'd ever heard from Nudge…

I sighed. "No way."

"Aw! But Max! If you don't look amazing, we'll have failed! Because you know we're doing your makeup and hair, too. Jeez, Max! Get your act together, you have to look stunning! Pretty isn't good enough!"

I growled. "I'm not going to put the dress on, Nudge."

Nudge actually glared at me. It shouldn't have, but it scared me silly. I hurried into the dressing room and put on the dress. It was mostly to humor them, but… The dress looked amazing.

It was a deep purple with thin red shoulder straps. It came down to my knees and hugged my bodice. It flowed freely from the waist down. On one hip there was a bright red rose. I… liked it. A lot.

I stepped out of the room and Nudge squealed. "Oh, Max, please get that one!"

I nodded. "Actually I think I will."

Ella gave me a smug look. "Finding dresses isn't so bad, is it?"

I rolled my eyes.

We made our purchases and left the store. It was six o'clock, and I was starving. I drove the girls back to the house and we all debated what to do for dinner. As we were deciding, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I flipped it open.

"Hello?"

"Hey," Fang said. I smiled.

"What's up?"

"Do you and Ella want to come over? I was about to call Nudge and Iggy. We can do pizza."

I grinned. "That sounds awesome. Nudge is actually here, so she'll call Iggy. See you in a few."

I explained the deal to the girls and the agreed happily.

"What's goin' on?" a snobby voice asked from the stairs.

"Go away, Ari," I sighed. I wasn't really in the mood to put up with him.

"The adults aren't here. I'm you responsibility, Max," he sneered.

"You're fourteen. Take care of yourself," I snapped.

He rolled his eyes and walked over to us. "I know you're going over to that guy's house. I'm coming, too."

I glared at him, and he backed up a little. I grabbed the girl's hands and walked out the door. I heard Ari behind us… I shook my head. Why did I have to deal with him?

We got to Fang's house in no time at all. My heart nearly froze. What if things got awkward between us? Things could _not_ be awkward between me and Fang… I needed him too much.

I hesitantly knocked on the door… Fang answered with a smile. The four of us slipped inside. He raised an eyebrow at me when Ari followed suit, but I just shook my head. Fang nodded and grinned at me. I blushed and hurried inside. We sat around in the living room, waiting for Iggy. Nudge had called him a while ago.

Nudge and Ella were sitting on the couch giggling happily. Fang and I were on the love seat as usual. I was relieved that there wasn't anything awkward…

But then again, I might not have noticed if there was. I was preoccupied with Ari sitting in the corner, watching everyone.

"Max?" I heard Fang say.

I was pulled out of my thoughts. "Hm?"

"Do you want to go talk to him?" he asked.

I sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I do. Would it be okay if we went to your room?"

Fang nodded. "Sure. I'll turn up the volume. That way there won't be any witnesses." He winked.

I rolled my eyes and stood. Ari watched me warily as I grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to Fang's room.

"What's going on?" I said.

He looked down at his feet. I'd never seen him look so… innocent.

"I… Just… I'm sorry, okay?" he muttered.

I blinked. "You're _what?_"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry we came. I'm sorry I was born. I'm sorry I took your dad," he spat. God, I swear he was about to start crying.

"You… you're…" I questioned whether or not I was hearing this correctly.

A tear rolled down his cheek. "He loves you guys more. He talks about you all the time. He's always _so_ proud of you. He doesn't even notice me. Are you happy?"

For once in my life, I felt sorry for Ari. Honestly, I'd always been jealous of him. He had a dad. Hell, he had _my_ dad. But… hearing him say this, I was left speechless.

"Forget it." He turned to leave the room, but I grabbed his arm and, for some reason, pulled him into a hug.

"Ari… I didn't know. I swear he just up and left us one day. He loves you, though. Why would he leave us if he didn't?"

Ari hugged back and sniffled. Jeez… was he really Ella's age? He seemed like just a little kid…

"Max… I just want to be like you. I just want him to notice me."

I smiled and took a step back. "Just keep being you."

He nodded and glanced at Fang's mirror. "I'm a mess."

I nodded. "There's a bathroom down the hall." I pointed it out to him and watched him lock himself inside.

I walked back downstairs. Fang had made good on his promise… The volume was turned up and I doubted anyone had heard anything. Iggy had also arrived and was sitting next to Ella on the couch. Nudge looked a little distracted, but otherwise content. They all gave me worried looks, but I smiled a little and sat back down next to Fang.

He put an arm around me and raised an eyebrow. "What happened?" he whispered.

Ari came back down and returned to his corner. He hugged his knees and gave me a small smile. I smiled back.

"He… I'll tell you when we're alone, okay?"

Fang nodded.

We all sat contently through the movie that someone had thought to put on. The pizza showed up soon and everyone dug in, even Ari. I was glad to see Nudge talking to Ari, and for once, it wasn't because I was hoping his ears would fall off. Nudge being nice to him was a good sign. Maybe everyone would try and accept him… I hoped they would. He just needed someone.

While everyone was preoccupied, Fang took my hand and led me to his room.

"What happened?" he asked.

I told Fang everything… He sat there and listened patiently, a mask guarding his emotions as usual.

When I finished, he sighed and nodded. "That's good. At least he'll be more pleasant now… I don't think he's a bad kid."

I nodded in agreement. "Fang? I think there's something else we need to talk about."

"I think so too." He took a step closer to me. "Max… You're my best friend."

"And you're my best friend," I said, resisting the urge to step closer.

"But," he began, "sometimes I feel like I love you as _more_ than just my best friend."

I gulped. He felt the same way… but… what if something happened and we broke up? I don't think I could survive without him…

He read me like a book. "I need you, Max…" He sighed.

I shuddered. I needed him, too… "I… We…" It was my turn to sigh. "What if… I don't know…"

"Max?" he said. I looked at him. I imagined how distressed I must have looked. "Do you like me?"

"Well, I mean, of course I like you," I said quickly.

"Not like that, Max."

I looked down. Why was this so complicated? I mentally slapped myself. This was complicated. This was very simply… I was just thinking too much. I needed to be thinking about right now… Right now I was pretty sure I loved Fang.

I looked away and nodded. He stepped forward and hugged me. I hugged back and sighed.

"We can wait, if you want," he said quietly.

"Just… give me a little while, okay? I do love you. I just don't know if I can do this." I looked down. When had I gotten so selfish?

"You're not selfish," he whispered. "I can wait."

**That is so much less of a cliff hanger… meh. Or is it?**

***sigh* dunno. I like Ari. Do you like Ari? I like Ari. He's so wonderfully confused.**

**Now… we have a small matter of business to attend to. **

…**no reviews… Well, some… but not a lot x.x**

**Sooo… I'll update based on reviews from now on… which means, unless I get a shiz load of reviews, I'll update once a week… Maybe.**

**And I'm going to do some shoutouts! Do you want a shoutout? I know you do. A shoutout and brownie points… what's better? You get all of the above if you can tell me the name of Three Days Grace's lead singer…**

**Yes, I am perfectly aware that I'm being cruel. That's just me for ya:3**

**But I really do love you guys… with alllllll my heart :D**

**Review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Why do I love you guys?**

**Rismey: Because they reviewed?**

**Joey: HUSHEDEHUSH. If you tell them that, they'll think they're off the hook. But I still need reviews, idiot.**

**Rismey: *rolls eyes* whatever. **

**Enjoy the chapter!**

Two weeks passed quicker than I would have thought possible. Unfortunately, Jeb was _still_ here. But Ari was here as well, and I'd taken him under my wing. The others were skeptical, but Ari had actually been pretty pleasant to them. I could tell they were coming around.

The Valentine's dance was tonight… I'd been doing my best not to hyperventilate. I still hadn't given Fang an answer… I decided tonight I would. I would give him a definite yes or no… too bad I was still indecisive. I mean, if Fang and I got together… what would happen? What would change? I shook my head. I was thinking way too much about this…

Ella and Ari stepped into my room. For the first time I noticed just how much they looked like brother and sister… There was no mistaking those eyes. They stood side-by-side, an angelic look on both of their faces… I groaned.

"What do you want?"

"Well, Max… Nudge just got here!" Ella said happily. "So we're going to do your makeup now!"

I glared. "Nuh-uh. No way."

"Oh, come on, Max. You'll look gorgeous!" she insisted.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. There wasn't much use in avoiding it. "Fine. What about _you_?" I said to Ari.

He shrugged. "Actually, I was about to go over to Fang's. Iggy and Fang are getting ready over there."

I nodded. Nudge had asked Ari to go to the dance with her as friends… I knew she was trying to include him, and for that I was grateful. The two of them had gotten along quite well.

Ari left and Nudge popped in. I sighed… This was going to be Hell.

The girls did their own hair and makeup first. They both looked beautiful… Nudge's hair was straightened and her makeup was glittery. When she put on her dress, I was stunned. It was long and silvery. She looked like a princess.

Ella's hair was curled and left down. Her dress was just a little longer than my own, but hers was a light pink. I smiled at them, and they both grinned before attacking me with makeup.

I tried not to complain too much, but I really wasn't enjoying this. When they finished, though, I didn't have words. My hair was pulled back into a messy sort of bun, but some pieces hung neatly in front of my face. And my makeup looked natural… I sighed. It was pretty amazing what they could do.

I was then forced into my dress. Nudge gave me some red heels that set it over the top. Damn… I actually looked good. I hugged and thanked them and they just grinned smugly. The boys came over soon after. Ari was wearing a plain black suit with a black tie. Nudge bounced over to him happily and the two started chatting. Iggy took one look at Ella and grinned.

He pulled her into a hug and started whispering something to her. But… I was focused on Fang. His suit was black with a black tie and vest, but his dress shirt was red. He smiled at me took my hand.

"You look beautiful," he said, looking me up and down.

I felt myself blush. "You look pretty amazing, yourself."

Mom was in the kitchen, and I almost had a heart attack when I saw the camera. She rolled her eyes. "Max, just shut up and smile."

Fang laughed quietly. Ella and Iggy were first. I had to admit… they were darn adorable together. Ari and Nudge looked like they were having fun. I smiled and glanced at Fang. He grinned at me and put an arm around my waist. It was our turn for pictures.

After a few cheesy shots, we all squeezed into Iggy's truck. Ella and Nudge ended up sharing a seat.

We arrived at the dance in no time at all. The six of us stepped inside and separated. Nudge and Ari went straight for the food where Iggy and Ella hurried to be at the front of the accumulating mosh-pit.

Fang took my hand and led me towards the back. I liked this spot… I could see everything that was happening without getting run over or otherwise injured. Fang slipped an arm around my waist and kissed my cheek. I blushed tomato red.

I leaned against him. Why was it so hard for me to accept that I was in love with him? What did I have to be afraid of? I sighed. Yes. I would tell him yes.

As more people arrived, the music grew louder and the room filled with energy. It was hard not to get a little caught up in the whole scene. At one point, Fang asked me to dance.

"Are you serious? I can't dance."

He grinned. "Come on, it'll be fun."

I was too stunned to answer, so he just took my hands and we danced around awkwardly. It was fun, though. I was having a blast.

When we took a breather by the food table, Lissa bounced over to us.

"Hey, Nicky! Here alone?" she asked, batting her lashes. Her dress was a bright red that didn't quite go with her hair.

"I'm here with Max," he said, smiling. Fang pulled me closer.

I guessed Lissa hadn't ever seen Fang smile. She seemed to be in shock, but she quickly recovered to glare at me. "Why, all the good ones were taken?"

"That explains why you don't have a date," I interjected.

She was stumped.

"I asked Max, actually," Fang said. I could tell he was trying not to laugh.

Lissa stormed off. I supposed she couldn't think of anything else to say after that… I grinned. Fang looked around and leaned to whisper in my ear.

"Let's go out in the hall."

I nodded and followed. It was getting stuffy in there…

When we got to the hall, Fang dropped my hand and looked around. It was then that I decided that I much preferred him holding my hand…

"So," I said awkwardly.

He looked at me and smiled. "I guess you know what I want to talk about…"

"Yeah, a pretty good idea, at least. " I looked around.

He stepped closer to me and held my chin up so I was looking at him. I tried to avoid his eyes, but soon found that to be impossible.

"So?" he asked, a little hopeful.

I took a deep breath. I had decided this earlier, right? No hesitations. This was the right decision…

"Yes."

He grinned and hugged me. I threw my arm around his neck and hugged back. We stayed like that for a while before he finally pulled back to look at me. Then, I kissed him.

I'm not sure why, it just seemed like the right thing to do, you know? Evidently, he agreed. He kissed back.

After a few seconds, there was a sigh. "Max, Nick, no PDA." Blushing, I pulled back. The principal rolled his eyes and went back to the dance.

Fang grinned again and pecked me on the cheek. "Let's go back," he said. I nodded and took his hand.

I had a feeling I'd made the right choice.

**Rismey: Way to make a short chapter…**

**Joey: Oh shush.**

**So yeah. It's short, but they're together like SO MANY of you wanted. I've decided that Ari is my favorite character. *went back and read the books AGAIN***

**SO… What did you guys think? Who is YOUR favorite character? *ahem* I shall rephrase. Apart from Max and Fang, who is your favorite character?**


	12. Chapter 12

**Very interesting results... Your favorite common character is Iggy. Not surprising. The most interesting answer, however, was Sam's sister. Go check out the reasoning on that one...**

**This was going to be longer. But technology hates me. So you get this.**

Do you know how hard it is to find a birthday present for your best-friend-boyfriend? Really freaking difficult. Finding presents for Iggy wasn't even this hard… but Fang? I sighed. I suppose it was because this had to be _perfect_.

So here I am, standing in the mall, absolutely no idea where I plan to go. I sigh and head for the music store. It had yet to fail me…

But there's a first time for everything. I sighed and headed to the food court. I would never find him a present…

"Max?" I turned to see Iggy smiling and waving.

I grinned and hurried over to him. "Hey," I said. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just picking up Fang's birthday present," he shrugged.

I groaned. "I don't have the slightest idea what to get him…"

He laughed and shook his head. "You're his girlfriend, isn't it your _job_ to know what he wants?"

I punched him lightly and scoffed. "You're going to be sorry you said that when Ella's birthday rolls around," I growled.

He just grinned. "Come on, I'll help you find something."

We hit up a few stores, but not with much luck. I finally got around to asking Iggy what _he_ had gotten for Fang… He shrugged and winked. "It's a surprise." So I punched him a little harder. By the end of the day, I had nothing. And with his birthday being _tomorrow_ and all… I decided to just take him out to dinner. Lame? Yes. Effective? Hopefully.

"So what are you doing tonight?" he asked casually.

I thought for a moment. "I'm not sure. Fang's birthday isn't until tomorrow… Ella and Nudge are having a girl's night at Nudge's. Why?"

"Do you, Fang, and Ari want to come over tonight?" he asked, a little hopeful. Honestly, I was just glad he was including Ari… He'd been really pleasant lately.

"That sounds pretty awesome. What's the catch?"

He grinned sheepishly. "I have to take care of Angel and Gazzy… But if you guys are there… we could all sit around and watch movies…"

I rolled my eyes. "Sounds good." I sighed and smiled. Three months ago, Iggy was my very best friend… then Fang came along, and, well, we clicked… I kind of missed Iggy. He was so easy to be around. He was so much different than Fang, but the two of them got along great… "Hey, Ig?" I said.

He looked at me quizzically. "Yeah?"

"Thanks. Today was fun."

He smiled. "I'm just a phone call away. And honestly, most these days I'm in your living room." He stuck his tongue out and turned to leave.

I smiled. I loved my friends.

…

"Max!" Angel yelled. I grinned and my heart warmed.

"Hey, sweetie," I said, pulling her into a hug.

Gazzy was bugging Iggy for something and Fang was just smiling at Angel. She took notice. "Who's that?" she asked.

It occurred to me that this was the first time the kids would meet Fang. I smiled. "This is Fang."

He gave her a smiled I hadn't seen before. I smirked. _Everyone_ liked Angel, and everyone would fall under her little mind control. Apparently, Fang was no exception. She smiled back sweetly and crawled out of my arms to go over and hug Fang.

He hugged back willingly and God did I wish I had my camera…

He gave me a playful glare and I just rolled my eyes. Angel and Gazzy settled down and headed off to go play. Iggy welcomed us and headed for the kitchen. I grinned. Iggy was quite the cook. I saw Ari follow after him… If Ari could learn to cook half as well as Iggy, I would happily give up my room for him to stay with us.

Fang took my hand and we headed for the living room. He sat on the couch and pulled me down with him.

~!~

"Here, take this and just sprinkle it on top," Iggy said, handing Ari the bag of cheese.

Iggy wasn't exactly sure if Ari like cooking or not, but he at least seemed like he wanted to help. Iggy happily put him to work. This pizza was going to be delicious…

"Hey, Ig?" Ari asked after a short silence.

Iggy glanced up. "Yeah?"

"Thanks for letting me help," he mumbled.

Iggy grinned. "No problem." He paused for a moment. "Are you staying with Max and her family?"

"Huh?" Ari looked up. "Yeah. Until we leave, anyway. I don't really wanna go. I like Max and Ella."

Iggy smiled. "Yeah, they're both pretty great. Hey, pass me that," he said.

Ari tossed him the can he had been pointing to. "So Fang is new, right?"

Iggy nodded. "Yep. Came just a while ago… About the same time you did, actually. It's funny how fast he and Max became best friends." He smiled sadly to himself. He missed being Max's best friend, but he knew that she and Fang had something special.

"Wow. It's crazy to think how long I've been here. You know… I never really had any friends. Back home, I mean. My mom decided I would do better with homeschooling… but somehow, even though I spent all day with her, she managed to ignore me…"

Iggy stopped stirring the sauce for a moment. "Jeez. I'm sorry, man."

"Yeah. Has Max always hated Dad?" He seemed a little fidgety.

Iggy laughed a little. "Not always. She used to think he would come back… She was hopeful. Then a few years ago it clicked with her what had happened. _Then_ she lost hope and started hating him."

Ari nodded. "He likes her the most."

Iggy was taken aback. Ari sounded so… heartbroken.

"Hey, Ari," he said, trying to lighten the mood a little. "How long have we left Max and Fang alone for?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Ten minutes?"

Iggy grinned. "Stir this."

He left the kitchen and stood in the doorway of the living room. Max and Fang were on the couch.

"Would you two oh so kindly stop making out in my house? It's a little creepy."

Max looked up and glared at him. She was breathing a little heavily. Fang smirked and Iggy rolled his eyes before returning to the kitchen.

Ari looked at him questionably. "How'd you know?"

Iggy scoffed. "They're timing is quite predictable. Oh, you have much to learn…" he smiled and picked up stirring the sauce again.

Ari had a layer of cheese laid out over the dough. Iggy started drizzling the sauce over the pizza. When he covered the whole thing, he instructed Ari to cover it with cheese.

The pizza went in the oven and the two headed back to the living room. Iggy decided that he quite liked Ari.

~!~

I smiled and leaned into Fang. Iggy and Ari were laughing over by the cabinet, trying to pick out a movie. Angel and Gazzy had made their way down when they smelled Iggy's pizza. The rest of the night was just as pleasant.

...

"Max? Hello? Max?" Fang waved a hand in front of my face.

I blinked twice. "Sorry…"

He smiled. "It's fine. You okay?"

I nodded and put on my best smile, but Fang could tell it was forced. Honestly, I wasn't even sure what was bothering me. Something just felt wrong.

Fang gave me a half smile. "If you feel sick I can take you home, you know."

I shook my head. "I really am fine. How's your birthday?" I smiled. This one was a little more genuine.

He grinned. "It's alright I guess…" he leaned over the table and pecked me on the lips. "It's great. Thanks Max."

I smiled and looked around. The restaurant was a little more upscale than I was used to, but Fang seemed really pleased. The check came and I snatched it before Fang could think about objecting. I paid and we left.

He smiled. "Where to?"

I thought for a second. "We could always go home. Or… to the park."

"I like the park idea," he said, grinning. I blushed and smiled.

He drove to the park in the middle of our small town and hopped out. I followed and took his hand. He sat on one of the many benches and I sat next to him. He looked me up and down and smiled. "You look amazing, Max."

I blushed harder. Ella and Nudge had given me a surprise makeover before I was able to leave.

"Thanks. Happy Birthday," I said.

He leaned down to kiss me.

Wow.

I have mentioned kissing Fang before, correct? It's amazing.

He pulled me closer and my arms wrapped around his neck. After only a moment he sighed and pulled back. I looked at him quizzically, but he pulled out his cell phone and flipped it open.

"Hello?" I rolled my eyes and leaned on him. His arm draped around me. "Um… Sure. I can be there in five minutes. Can I bring Max?" I stiffened a little. The pause was pretty agonizing. "Alright. We'll see you in a bit." He snapped the phone closed. I looked up at him. "My mom. We need to go…" he kissed me quickly before helping me up and leading me back to the car.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"I… I'm not sure. But my mom doesn't sound very… happy."

I didn't say anything. Elizabeth? Not happy? That seemed a little impossible.

We pulled in Fang's driveway in no time at all. He slid an arm around my waist and we hurried inside. Elizabeth was sitting in the living room, tears slipping down her cheeks. My breath caught.

"Max! Fang!" she said, and hugged us both tightly.

"What's going on?" Fang asked quietly.

She looked down. "I… got a call… Nicholas…"

Fang's grip around me tightened.

"Their platoon… They… they were driving and… hit a landmine…" She let out a sob. "None of them made it."

**Aren't I just all daffodils and daisies?**

**Am I being too cliché yet? No worries… I won't go TOO overboard…**

**So, in case you're wondering why it took so long to update, the process went a little like this:**

**Joey: Alright, Ris… If I get one more review, I'll update!**

**Rismey: *sigh* Joey, aren't you over reacting?**

**Joey: I DON'T OVERREACT. ONE MORE REVIEW. IS THAT SO MUCH TO ASK FOR?**

***One week later***

**Rismey: You're not getting that review. Post the goddamn chapter.**

**So, question of the chapter!**

**If you could join the flock, would you?**

**And so here we are…**

**REVIEW3**


	13. Chapter 13

**HAPPY CHRISTMAS MY LOVES!**

**This is a longer chapter for me… yay?**

**It appears that most of you would not join the flock… I'm going to have to agree. I mean, I personally refuse to put up with Angel. Bitch… *cough cough***

**Anyway.**

**Do you know what I want for Christmas? Reviews. And a lot of them. **

I've been to one funeral in my life, and I was three then. My mom's dad had passed away… but it's not like I knew what was going on or even remembered much about it at all. Over the past week, Fang had been invited to stay with us while Elizabeth took care of some funeral details. Fang's family drove up for the ceremony, so his house was ridiculously crowded.

Now, however, we were sitting in the back of a large church. The ceremony ended an hour ago, but people were still talking and crying… Fang just held my hand tight. I'd made an effort not to leave him alone for too long. He'd been nearly emotionless. Well… more so than usual. I'd begun to worry… He insisted that I be by his side. I leaned into him a little and his arm slipped around my waist as he pulled me closer. He hadn't shed a tear… but this was Fang. I knew he was dead on the inside.

I looked around the room and my eyes rested on a rather out of place couple. The boy – or man as I should say – glanced at Fang and me and he cracked a small smile. He took the girl's hand and pulled her over to us. They look too be only a little older than Fang and me… Maybe in their twenties? The boy was a splitting image of Elizabeth as far as facial features, just as Fang had looked identical to his father. His hair was simply brown but style up into some kind of spikes. His eyes were lighter, hazel almost. I noticed he had a stud in one ear.

The girl was beautiful. Her eyes were a bright green and her hair was in neat, chocolate brown curls. She smiled at us sadly.

"I'm so sorry about your dad," she said sincerely. She hugged Fang, but he just stiffened.

She backed away, unaffected by the lack of response as if she expected nothing more. The man put an arm around her waist and looked at me. "I'm Rismey. I'm Fang's older brother."

I looked at Fang, puzzled, but he just shrugged. "He's in his third year of college."

It was the most I'd heard Fang say all week… "Nice to meet you," I said to Rismey.

He smiled warmly at me. "This is Andy." He gave the girl a squeeze.

She smiled sweetly and escaped Rismey's grip to give me a hug. I hugged back, a little confused. "It's so nice to meet you."

I nodded. "You too… I'm Max."

"This is Max? Rismey, she's so cute!" Andy grinned and gave me another hug.

Rismey rolled his eyes. "Fang? You okay?"

Fang shrugged. "I guess."

Rismey shot me a worried look. "Can I borrow him for a sec?"

I nodded. Fang sighed and stood up, following his brother a few rows ahead. Andy plopped down next to me. "Wow, Elizabeth told us Fang had a new friend… I didn't think you'd be this adorable," she gushed. I couldn't help but smile a bit. "It really is nice to meet you. I've heard you've changed him." She winked and sighed.

I shook my head. "So… Rismey… Fang's brother? I'm a little confused."

Andy smiled. "Yeah, Fang's brother… He's twenty, like me. They weren't necessarily close as kids, but they didn't beat the crap out of each other like most normal brothers…"

"Oh," was my brilliant reply.

"Ris was closer to their dad, and Fang was closer to their mother…" she shrugged. "Don't let his cheery appearance fool you. Rismey is practically broken inside… He just doesn't want anyone upset over him."

I nodded. "Fang… he's taking it pretty hard…" I sighed. "So… what about you?"

"Me? I'm Ris's fiancé." She smiled and held up her ring. "I've known the family for years… we were best friends for the longest time."

I gave her a surprisingly genuine smile. Rismey and Fang headed back. Fang was… smiling? My jaw nearly dropped. Andy winked at me and flittered to Rismey's side.

Fang reached out a hand to me. I took it, still speechless. Why hadn't _I_ made him smile like that?

"So… The tears are killing me. Is there anywhere good to eat around here?" Rismey asked.

Fang nodded. "I'll drive." I shook my head and took his hand. The four of us headed to the car and hopped in. Andy and I took the back, Rismey sat in the passenger seat, and Fang sat in the driver's seat as he said he would. I wasn't sure what it was about these two, but they really knew how to lighten the mood. I quite liked them, actually… why hadn't Fang mentioned he had a brother?

"So, Max?" Rismey said.

I looked up. "Yeah?"

"It's awesome to meet you. We've heard tons from Elizabeth." He smiled and turned back to the front. I smiled despite myself and looked at Andy who just winked.

"So," Fang said. "How've you been, Andy?"

"Fantastic! It's been a really good year. I've missed you, kiddo!" She laughed.

Fang rolled his eyes and pulled into the parking lot. The guys opened the doors and Andy and I stepped out. We went inside and sat down at a booth near the back. Fang sat beside me and held me tightly. He seemed so… happy?

We ordered and chatted for a while. When the food came, we ate quickly and checked the time.

"How long are you guys staying?" Fang asked.

"Just a week," Rismey said. Andy nodded.

Fang shrugged. "Where are you staying?"

"Your house," Andy chirped.

Fang smiled. "That sounds cool. Max, do you wanna stay the night?"

I nodded. "That sounds good."

"Awesome!" Andy said happily. Max and I can have a little girl talk." She winked and I all but groaned. "Hey, Fang, you remember Total?"

Fang looked at her skeptically. "Yeah…"

"We brought him!" she exclaimed. "He's just as adorable as ever! And he's really got a thing for our neighbor's dog, Akila."

Fang shook his head. "I can't believe you brought him." He glared at Ris.

He held his hands up. "Not my idea, bro…"

"Hey, Max? Can we go to the car? I want to talk to you for a few." I nodded and slid out of the booth. Fang took my hand.

"Whoa-ho-ho! Who's supposed to pay?" Rismey asked.

Fang shrugged. "Thanks for the birthday dinner." He pulled me along. I laughed and followed him to the car. "Thanks, Max," he said.

I looked at him a bit uncertainly. "For what?"

"For putting up with my mood the past, well, week. I'm really sorry." He shook his head. "I wasn't very helpful or anything. Just… deadweight…"

I shook my head. "I can't imagine what you must have been going through… no sweat. But I do want to know why you never mentioned your brother…"

Fang smiled a little. "Thanks… and… well, I don't know… it never came up…"

I sighed. "What am I going to do with you?"

He grinned the way that only Fang could and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and closed any remaining space between us.

"_Ahem_!" Rismey coughed. I dropped my hands and glanced up nervously. Fang glanced at him. "Mom did _not_ mention that little detail about you and Max."

Andy grinned. "I think they're perfect for each other," she laughed.

Fang rolled his eyes and loosened his hold on me. The four of us headed back to Fang's house. There were still a lot of people at the house… I offered to go to my place, and the others agreed.

"Max! You're home!" my mother said as we stepped inside. "Oh, hello Fang… you look better. Oh… who do we have here?"

"Max?" Ella called. She ran down the stairs and hugged me. Ari stood on the steps and waved hello.

"Hey guys. So, this is Rismey, Fang's brother, and his fiancé Andy." Ella smiled and shook their hands.

Andy talked to her animatedly, much as I expected from the two of them. Rismey laughed and shook his head. Fang pulled me close and we headed to the couch. Rismey joined us.

"When do you think it'll be safe to go home?" he asked. Fang looked up and thought for a moment.

"A couple hours? Is it just the two of you staying?"

Rismey nodded.

"FANG! OH MY GOSH! GET OVER HERE!" Andy yelled. He didn't have to be told twice. He hopped up and hurried over. I debated joining him, but Rismey cleared his throat.

"It's amazing," he said.

"What is?" I asked.

"The way Fang looks at you… and the way he acts around you… He's _never_ been like that. Ever. He's so much happier. I'm not sure how you did it… but thanks."

I blinked. "Um…"

He smiled. "For looking after him, y'know? I'm simply glad he met you."

I blushed. "Ah, thanks." Andy squealed and we both turned to see a very reluctant Fang and a giggling Ella.

He shook his head and rejoined us on the couch. "She's like Nudge, but older…"

I laughed. "Not quite like Nudge… she doesn't talk as much… but she definitely has the potential energy…"

Fang nodded in agreement. He glanced at Rismey. "What is she studying, again?"

He laughed. "Psychology. She's really very good at it."

I smiled. "That's really cool."

Ella and Andy joined us. Ari was still watching from the stairs. He waited a few moments before turning and heading back up. I sighed.

"Who was that?" Andy asked. "He didn't look happy in the slightest."

I blinked a few times. "Not happy?"

She shook her head. "Fidgeting, avoiding eye contact, dead expression… Something's not quite right with that poor boy."

"That's our half brother, Ari," Ella said. My heart gave a squeeze when she acknowledged his relation to us.

"Interesting…" Andy said, eyeing the stairs. "Well, shall we kill some time?"

Rismey nodded. "Sounds good. Fang, go pick a movie."

He sighed and stood up. He knew where the cabinet was…

Ella and Andy both eyed me. "Max… you should go talk to Ari…" Ella said. I sighed and nodded in agreement.

"I'll be back…" I went upstairs to the guest bedroom. Jeb and Beth spent the day out of the house, so I knew Ari would be there. I slipped inside and found him laying there. "What's wrong?" I asked.

Ari shrugged. "Nothing."

I frowned and sat beside him. "Come on…"

He glanced up at me. Had he been crying? "We're leaving in two days. Max… I don't want to leave. We'd just be going back to our house… but his feels like home."

"Oh, Ari…" I hugged him. "You know we love you, right? You need to make friends there… and you know you can call us… and visit…"

He nodded sadly. "I like it here."

"We like having you here. Why don't you come downstairs, kiddo?"

He shrugged, but I pulled him to his feet and he headed for the door. I put an arm around his shoulders and walked him downstairs. Fang stood as we reached the bottom step. I smiled at everyone and Ari took a seat next to Ella. Rismey and Andy did their best to keep Ari involved in the conversation, but eventually it got to the point where Andy was curled up next to Rismey and I was doing the same with Fang. The movie droned on, and eventually Fang gave us an all clear to head back to his house.

Elizabeth was sitting on the couch, her face tear streaked. The sadness of the past week filled the house. I felt Fang inch closer to me. Elizabeth gave us an attempt at a smile.

"Mom," Rismey said, going to hug her. She let out a sob and I looked away. I felt like I was intruding on something private. Andy put a hand on my shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She stepped forward and joined the hug.

"Do you want to go to my room?" Fang asked.

I could hear pain in his voice. "Do _you_?"

He nodded and took my hand. I went with him upstairs and he closed his door. He looked through a drawer and threw a pile of black at me. I caught it and looked at him uncertainly. He wasn't okay…

"I'll change in the bathroom," he sighed, and left the room. I felt a strange chill go through me. I shook my head and changed quickly. Fang rapped on the door a few times before I gave to okay to come in.

He looked around the room and his eyes rested on the clock. It was only eight thirty. He eyed the bed, and then glanced at me. I headed for the drawer that I knew contained the extra blanket and pillow. He stopped me, though, and pulled me into the bed with him. "Just stay with me…"

I nodded and curled up next to him, my head on his chest. His arm fell around my waist and my arm was across his stomach. This felt so… right. But something was off.

"You okay?" I asked.

He sighed. "I'm not sure. I miss him. And I won't see him again…"

"You know he loved you," I said. He nodded.

"I know. I just wish I could have told him one last time…"

**RISMEY AND ANDY. SHOOSH YEAH. My own creation. I'M SO PROUD! **

**Rismey is actually Misery all jumbled up. Nifty, huh? More on that later.**

**Question of the chapter time!**

**Are you going to read Angel when it comes out? Or are you just going to let the good people on FFNET give you spoilers and read their versions?**

**I personally am QUITE pissed that Fang left. He better come back…**

**ANYWHO that concludes this chapter. I don't know how many of you have read "Vienna" by Xx-Twitch-xX, but I'm working on a prequel for that. I think I told her I started… KELS, I STARTED. There. **

**I'll post again when I get me some reviews!**

**HAPPY CHRISTMAS!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Dark themes ahead! Ye have been warned!**

**And apparently I'm a pirate now! **

**No, but, seriously… This chapter has a darker theme… and plot development! Yay for both! Anyway, I'm sorry I've been gone so long. I've been doing a lot of work on my book, Puzzling, and some other short stories. I'll put a link to those on my profile.**

**Yeah… I don't really want to read Angel… It sounds dreadful… But it actually comes out really soon… so I don't know…o.o**

**Here's your chapter!**

Ari took a shaky breath and looked around Ella's room. He felt terrible that he'd taken the room… he and Ella had talked it over the other day, and she seemed to forgive him. She was even very nice about it… She and Max had been treating him so nicely… He wasn't used to it.

He wanted to stay. Back home, things were terrible. The few friends he thought he had had evidently replaced him in their "group". And, being homeschooled, they were really the only people he saw. His mom was never in a pleasant mood, and Jeb sure as hell wasn't fond of him. He was always talking about Max… Max this, Max that…

Ari used to wonder what was so perfect about her. What was so great about his older half-sister? Up until before Christmas, he hadn't even seen a picture of Max over the age of about three. He found it so bizarre that his dad could love someone so much and not even see them. He was jealous of Max, and would readily admit it.

He thought he should hate her. Why should she get all of their father's love? Could his father not spare as much as a compliment or form of encouragement every now and then? But now… he loved her. He loved Max, his sister… She was kind to him.

She'd even convinced the other's to not be so hard on him… He had even begun liking them as well. He felt like he had friends, like he had a home… He felt loved.

But, of course, he knew he had to leave… He only had two more full days with them, and then he would return to his Hell of a home. He stood and walked around the room, frustrated with his self. In a short burst of anger, he punched the wall, sending a small, hanging mirror crashing.

"Ari? Are you okay?" he heard Ella ask.

He sighed, figuring he would have to replace the mirror. "Yeah. I'm fine. Sorry."

"…okay," he heard after a short pause.

Ari choked back tears. This wasn't fair. At all.

He looked at the pile of now broken glass, the shards sticking out every which way. He kneeled to examine them, picking out a particularly sharp piece.

After a rather lengthy mental debate, he pricked his finger and watched the blood slide down his hand, all the way to his wrist. A tear ran down his cheek, and he used the shard to cut the side of his arm, just below his wrist. He made three cuts, all the same length, side by side.

A horrified gasp caught his attention. Ari hadn't heard the door open.

Ella stood in the doorway, broom and dustpan in hand. She looked like she might cry. Ari looked away, hot tears filling his eyes.

"Ari…" she whispered.

"You weren't supposed to see that," he muttered.

Ella hesitantly made her way to Ari, kneeled next to him, and put an arm around his shoulder. He didn't try to escape her; he just turned towards her and buried his face in her shoulder. "It's okay…" she said quietly. "Well… it probably isn't. But I'm not going to go all Max on you. I'll leave that to her." She laughed humorlessly.

"Please don't tell Max," he said, sitting up. "Please… just don't tell her…"

Ella gave him a worried look, but nodded. "You're lucky she's at Fang's… Let's get you cleaned up, okay?"

He nodded and let her help him up. Blood was dripping from his arm, but Ella had found one of her old shirts and was doing her best to keep the room clean. He felt terrible for doing this to her…

She led him to the bathroom and rinsed off his arm, even found a bandage and wrapped him up. She never said anything, just occasionally checked to make sure she wasn't hurting him. He was starting to wonder if maybe he was the one hurting her… maybe he didn't deserve the love his family gave him.

~!~

"DAMMIT RISMEY, THAT'S NOT FAIR!" I yelled. He smirked and laughed a little.

"Sorry, Maxi. You just suck."

I scoffed and stood with a spin. Fang was hiding a smile and Andy was laughing as expected. "Sweetie, Rismey's a whole lot smarter than he looks… Why'd you even agree to play him?"

"I'm pretty sure I was just insulted…" Ris sighed.

Andy laughed. I shook my head. "You should have _told_ me you were good in chess," I insisted.

"Did you ask?" Fang chimed in.

I rolled my eyes. "God, I swear sometimes the world is out to get me."

Andy laughed. "Oh, I wouldn't say that… hey, Ris, have you asked them yet?"

"Asked us what?" Fang said. He came to stand next to me.

"I was wondering if you guys wanted to stay with us for a bit over summer. Andy's parents are letting us stay at their house for the break… Just wondered if you'd be up for it?"

Fang seemed to stiffen a little. "Andy's house?" he turned to her. "Is your family going to be out of town?"

She blinked twice. "No… why would they go… oh. Fang, can I talk to you?"

He nodded and followed her.

I turned to Rismey. "Ummm… what's going on?" He shrugged, avoiding me eyes. I growled. "Tell me what's going on," I demanded.

His eyes widened a bit and he glanced up. "Really Max, don't exaggerate the situation…"

"What situation?" I yelled. This brings me back to the _the world is out to get me_ comment…

"Just… let Fang tell you… He's _your_ boyfriend…"

I gave him a death glare and he actually took an involuntary step back.

~!~

"I don't want to see her," Fang said simply.

Andy sighed. "That's a little immature, don't you think?"

"I _really_ don't want to see her. And I'm surprised you still like me at all after what happened."

"Fang, sweetie, you _left_. You _moved_. It's not your fault. And, honestly, you deserved better… don't tell her I said that." Andy winked. "I much prefer seeing you with Max. She's absolutely great."

He sighed. "I love her."

"Whoa there, bud." She smiled. "At least you realize it… I can tell by the way you look at her. And she loves you too. Have you told her?"

He shook his head. "I plan to. I just don't know when I should…"

"You'll know when the time is right." She winked. "Please, Fang? Stay with us for a while during the summer… There won't be any problems with Brigid, I promise!"

"I'll have to see and talk to her every day, though…"

"Oh, please. Don't be so melodramatic."

"She's your sister. She lives in the _same house we'll be staying in._"

She waved him off. "Details. You should come."

He sighed. "Fine…"

"Yay! Now, let's get back to Rismey and Max."

She followed Fang through the house back to the living room. Rismey looked a little shaken up and Max looked… quite irritated. He sighed.

"Max… what'd you say?"

"What's going on?" she asked instead of answering.

"It's nothing. I promise," he said, giving her the slightest smile.

She sent a glare his way, but shook her head. "I expect you to tell me," she said.

"I will. Just not now, okay?" he checked his watch. "Come on."

"Shoot! We're going to be late!" Max had thrown on what she'd been wearing the previous night. Fang took her hand and led her down the street to her house. Andy and Rismey waved goodbye, sending them on their way.

~!~

"That movie was terrible," I said as we left the theater, my hand in Fang's.

"You weren't even watching!" Nudge scoffed. Ella and Ari laughed in agreement. Iggy rolled his eyes and draped his arm around Ella.

Throughout the whole day, I'd noticed Ella and Ari exchanging looks, Ari's usually being helpless and Ella's trying to be encouraging. I was beginning to wonder if they were hiding something…

"Max, we still on for tomorrow?" Iggy asked.

I nodded. "Of course. I'll see you then!"

Fang and Ella rolled their eyes and the lot of us got into our separate vehicles and headed to my house.

Iggy and I had planned a day together. I hadn't noticed just how little time we'd been spending together, and, well… I missed him. I didn't like the way he'd gone from my best friend to Ella's boyfriend. I didn't mind them together in the least, and I knew that the obvious truth was that Fang was my best friend, but I missed the guy.

When we all got to the house, Fang headed home to have some alone time with his brother, and Iggy volunteered to drive Nudge home.

That left me, Ella, and Ari…

"So, what's up with you two?" I asked. They both just gave me a confused look. "Oh, come on. I know something's up."

They exchanged an uncertain glance. "It's nothing," Ari said.

I frowned. "I expect an explanation, later," I said.

Ella sighed. "Max, it's nothing. I promise." With that, she grabbed Ari's wrist and the two headed upstairs, leaving me in utter confusion.

**Alright! There you have it. Ari has issues… but I love him… He's my favorite. **

**QUESTION OF THE CHAPTER: If you could bring any fictional character to life, who would it be and why?**

**I'll tell you mine next chapter ;D**

**Review!**


	15. My God

**My God. **

**I love you all.**

**I really do.**

**I haven't given up on this (trust me, epic plot is epic) but I know it's been way too freaking long since the last update. So bear with me and I should have some free time this weekend, kay? : )**

**Also, my main project right now IS the cowrite with Xx-Twitch-xX (SPONSER~) called Hidden Moves. You guys can find that on my page and I promise you'll love it:D**

**Spam my email with reviews and make me write!**

**See you guys this weekend : )**

**-Joey (insert love and affection here~)**


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